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ST. DOMINGO PRODUCTS. 



H^ U .JJ 



SANTO DOMINGO, 



PAST AND PRESENT; 



WITH A GLANCE AT HAYTl. 



By SAMUEL HAZARD, 

AUTHOR OF "CUBA, AVITH PEX AND PENCIL. 




Y FLIGHT '^ 



^i^. 



'h'n 



TO^ 



MAPS AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. 



J^^W YORK: 

HARPEK & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 



FRANKLIN SQUARE, 



18 73. 



,^^3 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the vear 1873, by 

Harpek & Brothers, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



^ 




V- 



TO THE 

ORIGINAL OF THIS 




THE 

DISTINGUISHED PRESIDENT OF CORNELL COLLEGE, N.Y, 

IX PLEASANT MEMORY OP 

DAYS OF AGREEABLE COMPANIOXSHIP, 

AS WELL AS OF SOJIE ROUGH EXPERIENCES AMID NOVEL AND 

BEAUTIFUL SCENES IN SANTO DOMINGO, 

2C{)£se |iacf£S are Setiicateti 

BY HIS SINCERE FRIEND, 

THE AUTHOR. 




tHE autlior of these pages 
makes no pretension to be 
the ^^ historian" of St 
Domingo ; his only endea- 
vour in making this volume is 
to bring together in a continuous and 
^ ^ '^^^ condensed form, for the benefit of the -'^ 

general reader, the facts connected with the history of the 







PREFACE. 



Island of St Domingo from its discovery by Columbus to 
tlie present time, illustrating, as much as possible, its scenes 
and people by his own sketches, and photographs and en- 
gravings gathered from various sources. 

At a time when the masses of the people of the United 
States were watching with interest the action of their repre- 
sentatives in Congress on the question of the admission 
of St Domingo into the Union, the author was surprised to 
find how little was really known, either of the present or 
the past of that historic isle ; and in endeavouring to obtain 
this information for himself, he was astonished to find the 
great lack of books (at least accessible, and in the English 
language) giving connected information of an island that 
had for so long a time, and in so many ways, played such 
an important part in the history of the world. 

Joining afterwards, on the island, the Commission sent 
out by the United States Government, the author, after 
almost entirely circumnavigating the island, and traversing 
its length and breadth, was amazed to find so magnificent 
a part of the ISTew World so generally uncultivated and 
even uncivilised, after having been the first chosen spot of 
settlement of the discoverers from the Old World. 

Having seen the comparatively advanced condition of 
affairs in the sister isle of Cuba (which is not nearly so 
highly favoured by Nature), and comparing it with the 
present deplorable state of St Domingo, the curiosity of the 
author was roused to know, if there were not other reasons 
than the reputed one of climate why an island so attractive 
and valuable in every way as St Domingo certainly is, 
should remain for so long a time unsettled and uncivilised. 

Coming to London, and consulting almost every early 



^£-r t 



PRE FA CE. 



writer of note upon the Island of St Domingo found in the 
treasures of the British Museum, the author is satisfied 
that the past history, especially of the Spanish part of St 
Domingo, is little known to the general reader of to-day, 
and that in that history is found ample reason for the pre- 
sent condition of St Domingo and Hayti — a condition, he 
thinks, arising only from the fact that this beautiful island 
has simply been the 'Wictim of misfortunes," brought 
upon it by its being successively the battle and disputed 
ground of the Spaniards and Indians, the Buccaneers, the 
English, the French, the Spaniards, the Haytians, and, 
finally, the Dominicans themselves. 

" The truth is not always to be told," is an old adage, 
and it is possible that the notes on Hayti may give ofience 
to some ; but the authar does not see that anything is to 
be gained by glossing over the present utterly hopeless 
condition of this part of the island^ simply in consideration 
of the feelings of a few over-sensitive " patriots," because, 
even in the definition of this word, they and the writer 
mio^ht not a^Tee. 

He has been surprised, however, to find, on reading over 
the accounts*of the difierent writers who have visited Hayti 
since the expulsion of the French, how perfectly justified 
are their remarks and experiences by the condition to-day 
of afi'airs in that Hepublic (?). The author is sure no one 
more ardently hopes to see a change for the better, as well 
in the government as in the -people of Hayti, than he, feel- 
ing as he does, that not only will the people of Hayti be 
benefited, but so will be the great causes of humanity and 
civilisation. 

As there may be readers who would like to follow out 



PRE FA GE. 



more in detail the subject treated of in this hook, the author 
has siven a list of the most valuable authorities which he 
has consulted at the British Museum, and to which he shall 
make little or no further reference in his work, though he 
confesses he has used them freelj^, even at times quoting 
their very language. ^Notwithstanding the number of these 
writers, they all go over pretty much the same ground in 
detached accounts, except some few who give greater de- 
tails, but only in matters peculiarly local, and that would 
not be interesting to the general reader, who, the author 
hopes, will find in the present volume all that can interest 
him. 

The map accompanying the work is compiled from the 
one ordered by the Domiaican Grovernment in 1858, from 
the surveys and data of Baron Schomburgh and the French 
engineer Mendez, the latest and most reliable chart of the 
entire island yet published. 



Paris, October 1872. 




C H A P T E R I. 

ST DOMINGO. 

PAGE 

Its Extent, Location, Physical Peculiarities — The Aborigines — Their 

Habits, Customs, &c., ...... 1 

CHAPTER 11. 

THE CONQUEST, 

Landing of Columbus — First Settlement — Columbus's Return on 
Second Voyage, and Founding of the First Permanent Colony — 
Expeditions to the Interior — Settlements there — Rapid Advance 
of the Island — Columbus's Hard Treatment — Ovando's Rule, . 18 



CHAPTER IIL 

THE EAKLY SPANIARDS. 

Their Treatment of the Natives— Ovando's Rule — Habits of the 
Spaniards — Negro Slaves — Rapid Decrease of the Aborigines — 
Sugar-making — Diego Columbus and his Successors — The War of 
Enrique, and Final Peace, . . . . . .33 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE DECLINE OF ST DOMINGO. 

PAGE 

Failure of the Mines — Expeditions fitted out — Depredations on Spanish 
Vessels — Depopulation of the Island — Neglect of Spain — Its Colo- 
nial Policy — Drake's Attack — The Capture and Ransom of the 
Capital, . . .. . . . ... 49 

CHAPTER V. 

THE BUCCANEERS AND EARLY FRENCH. 

Origin of the Buccaneers — Their Manners and Customs — Settlement of 
Tortuga, and their Extension from thence under the Auspices of 
the French — Settlement of St Domingo, . . . .68 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE JOINT OCCUPATION OF THE FRENCH AND SPANIARDS. 

The Boundary Question — Poverty of the Spaniards — Advance of the 
French — Successful Agriculture — Tobacco and Indigo Culture — 
Cocoa-Trees — The Introduction of the Coffee-Plant — General Im- 
provement of the whole Island — Character of the Inhabitants — 
French Luxury — Discontent of the Planters, . . .89 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE REVOLUTIONS OF FRENCH ST DOMINGO. 

Mode of Government of the French — Discontent of the Planters — 
Their Desire for Independence — Aspirations of the Mulattoes — 
Oge's Attempt at Insurrection — The Revolution in France — Its 
Effects on St Domingo — Contentions among the Whites — Insurrec- 
tion of the Slaves — Participation of the English in the Affairs of 
the Island — Their Defeat, and Success of the Blacks — Cession of 
the Island to the French, . . . . . .113 

CHAPTER VIII. 

TOUSSAINT's RULE. 

The Independence of Hayti — Toussaint takes Possession of the Whole 
Island, giving it a Constitution — Affairs under Toussaint — Napo- 
leon Attempts to Restore the Island to the French — Details of Le 
Clerc's Expedition — Toussaint's Capture — Rebellion against the. 
French — Cristophe — De.s«alines — Final Failure of the French, and 



CONTENTS. 



their Capture by the English Fleet — Dessalines Marches against 
the Spanish Part — His Discomfiture — His Cruelties in that Part 
of the Island — Becomes Emperor — His Cruelties and Butcheries 
of the Whites — Conspiracy against Him — His Death, . . 133 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE WHOLE ISLAND UNITED UNDER ONE GOVERNMENT. 

Dessalines' Successors — Cristophe and Petion — Civil "War — Peace ' 
between the Two Chiefs — Troubles in the Spanish Part — The 
Expulsion of the French — Co-operation of the English — Restora- 
tion of the Authority of Spain — Rebellion against her Rule — Death 
of Cristophe! and Petion — Boyer's Rule — Allegiance of the Spanish 
Part to Him — Condition of the Island — French Claims — Boyer's 
Decline — The Republic of Dominica, . . , .154 

CHAPTER X. 

LAND HO. 

Arrival in the Tropics — First Sight of Land — Turk's Island — Salt Keys 
— The Haytian Shore — The Dominican Coast — Arrival off Puerto 
Plata — Its Harbour — Funny Method of Going Ashore — A Night 
Visit — Historical Notes of the Town — Its Bay — Situation — Trade 
—People, ........ 172 



CHAPTER XI. 

SAMANA AND THE SOUTH COAST. 

Cape Samana — Balandra Head — The Bay of Samana — Santa Barbara — 
General Account of Samana Bay — The Caves of San Lorenzo — 
Savanna la Mar — Voyage round the South Coast, .. . . 195 

CHAPTER XIL 

ST DOMINGO CITY. 

The United States Commission — First Impression of the City — Visit to 
Baez and his Cabinet—Historical Notes of the City — Its Present 
Condition and Appearance — Trade and Future Prospects — Schools 
— The Mausoleum of Columbus — Dominican Amusements — San 
Carlos and the Exterior of the City — The Harbour as a Port — 
Well of Columbus — Mahogany Trade — Labourers, . . 212 



xiv CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

VICINITY OF ST DOMINGO CITY. 

PAGE 

Natural Caves — The Caves of Santanna — The Boundary Line— Beata 
and Alta Vela Islands — Neyba— §alt Mines — Sugar Plantations — 
Azua — Ocoa Bay, . . ', . . • . .235 

CHAPTER XIV. 

THE HISTORY OF THE DOMINICAN KEPUBLIC, INCLUDING THE SPANISH 

POSSESSION, ..... . . . 247 

CHAPTER XV. 

JOURNEY OVERLAND. 

Organising a Party — Our Route — Crossing the Ozama — Tropical Forests 
— Lunching "al fresco " — First Night Experiences — La Tosa — San 
Pedro — Natural Farm — Bad Roads — Apartments — The Country 
People — Rough Experiences — Grand Scenery — Sillon de la Viuda 
— Cevico— Ride to Cotuy, ..... . 274 

CHAPTER XVL 



Its Appearance, History, and Location — The Yuna River — An Old 
Church, and Novel Mode of Advertising — A Village Cemetery — A 
First Regular Meeting to Receive the Commissioner — Courtesy of 
the People — Swimming a River —The " Royal Road" — Hu-man-i- 
cu — Old Cocoa-Trees — Domestic Institutions — Woman's Rights — 
Reception at La Vega — The Town and its History — Hospitable 
Attentions — The only Steam-Engine — The " Grand" Cathedral 
— An Official Breakfast — The Famous Hill Santo Cerro — Superb 
View of the Vega— The Old Town of La Vega— The Valley of 
Constanza — A Paradise — Arrival at Mocha — An Attractive Town 
— Pretty Girls — Handsome Cemetery — Eloquence of the Commis- 
sioner, and some Plain Talk, ..... 296 



CHAPTER XVII. • 

FROM MOCHA TO SANTIAGO. 

Improved Roads — Fine Lands — Reception at Santiago — First Sight of 

the Yaqui — Description of Santiago and the Gold Regions, . 319 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

FEOM SANTIAGO TO MONTE CRISTO. 

FAGE 

The Puerto Plata Eoad — Fording the Yaqui — Its Bottom Lands — The 
Vega again — A Dangerous Insect — Polite " Guajiro " — Tobacco 
Culture — A Dry Country but Fine Climate — The Amina and Mao 
Rivers — Some Tropical Habits — Swimming the River at Guayubin 
— A Faro Bank and Hotel — Multiplicity of Generals — A Long 
Ride through a Sterile Country — The Agave Species — Monte 
Cristo — Left Alone on the Island — Manzanillo Bay — The Country 
South of the Yaqui — The Uninhabited Region — Crocodiles and 
Iguanas, ........ 336 

CHAPTER XIX. 

THE NORTH COAST LINE FROM MONTE CRISTO TO PUERTO PLATA. 

Lack of Water — Advantages of Irrigation — Tobacco Preparation — 
Dominican Soldiers and Haytian Battles — Couutry Hospitality — 
Used-up Horses — Fresh Start— The " Puerta de los Hidalgos " — 
Bottom Lands of the Coast — Impromptu Cooking — Old Isabella — 
Laguna — Domestic Economy — A Long Ride — Played-out Horse — 
The Road from Santiago to Puerto Plata — The Requeros — Rough 
Accommodations — Bad Road to Puerto Plata — Arrival there and 
Departure, . . . . . , , . 361 

CHAPTER XX. 

JOURNEY TO HATTI. 

" Cosa Dominica" — Dauphin Bay — Poor Accommodations — Tropic 
Night at Sea — A Cuban Horror — Cape Haytian from the Sea — 
First Experiences in Hayti — Haytian Of&cials — Value of Haytian 
Currency— Advantage of being Supposed a United States Commis- 
sioner, . ....... 387 

CHAPTER XXL 

CAPE HAYTIAN. 

The Paris of the West Indies — Population, Commerce, &c. — Ruins of 
French Civilisation — Beautiful Views — Fear of American Encroach- 
ments — Duplicity of Officials — Arbitrary Government — Trip to 
Millot — Scenes on the Road — Arrival at Sans Souci — Strange 
Treatment— Polite Officials— " Taking " the Citadel— Cristophe 
the Emperor — Horrible Cruelties— Views of the People — Return 
to the Cape, ....... 402 



xvi CONTENTS. 



CHArTER XXII. 

PAGE 
HAYTI FROM THE DEPARTDRE OF iJOYER IN 1843 TO THE ADVENT OF 

SAGET IN 1870, ....... 423 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

COASTING THE ISLAND. 

Passengers and Tropical Mode of Travel — Coast Scenery — Port de Paix 
— Tortuga Island — St Nicholas Mole — Bay of Port-au-Prince — 
The Town — Odd Appearance— Lack of Hotels — Suburbs of Port- 
au-Prince — Pretty Country-Houses — Old French Places — La Coupe 
— Road -Making — Haytian Soldiers — Feeling about Annexation — 
Noble Conduct of the United States Minister — ^Aiding the Domi- 
nican Revolutionists — Visit to the Interior — Sugar Plantations — 
Lake Azuey — A Storm in lieu of a Dinner — A Long Ride in Bad 
Weather — Departure — Gonaives, . ... . 441 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

APPENDATORT. 

A General View of St Domingo — Some Reflections on its Future — 
Views of President Grant — Climate — Insects — Seasons — Lands — 
Emigrants — The Population and its Character — Finances — Conces- 
sions and Grants — Hints to Emigrants or Travellers — Dominican 
Manifestoes— General Statistics — Treaty for Fixing the Boundaries 
— Notes on the Mineral Products of the Island, . . , -466 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PRODUCTS OF SANTO DOMINGO, 

THE NORTH COAST OFF PUERTO PLATA, 

OLD SANTO DOMINGO CITY, . 

ENTRANCE TO COFFEE ESTATE, 

TOWN AND BAT OP PUERTO PLATA, . 

PLAN OF SAMANA BAT, 

A TROPICAL MORNING, 

SOUTH COAST — LOS LLANOS, 

SANTO DOMINGO CITT, 

CAVES OF SANTANNA, 

PARASITES— A ST DOMINGO BROOK, 

VIEW FROM SILLON DE LA VIUDA, . 

THE VEGA REAL FROM THE SANTO CERRO HILL, 

MOCHA, .... 

THE RIVER TAQUI, . 

SANTIAGO, .... 

CACTII COUNTRT, NEAR MONTE CRISTO, 

FLOWERING ALOE, . 

MONTE CRISTO BAT, 

NEGRO HABITATIONS, 

CONUCO OF PLANTAIN AND TOBACCO, 

TOWN AND BAY OF THE CAPE, 

PALACE OF SANS SOUCI (mILLOT), . 

PORT-AU-PRINCE, . 

2 





Frontispiece. 


. To face Page 


4 


„ 


62 


} 




108 


, 




176 


, 




195 


} 




197 


, 




207 


} 




212 


. , 




239 


• > 




282 


) 




287 


> 




311 


, 




316 


• } 




321 


» 




324 






339 


• } 




351 


• 5 




852 


J 




368 


• } 




384 


5 




402 


5 




415 
449 



LIST OF SMALL ENGRAVINGS. 





PAGE 




PAGE 


Portrait of Columbus, 


7 


Plan of Tortuga, . 


. 77 


Caribbean Skull, . 


9 


Port de Paix, . 


, 83 


Drums, .... 


. 10 


Preparing Tobacco, . 


. 92 


Canoe (Oviedo), 


. 11 


Preparing Indigo, . 


. 93 


Huts (Oviedo), 


, 12 


Old French Sugar Mill, 


. 95 


Wine- making (Benzoni), . 


. 13 


Old French Plantation, 


. 98 


Idols, .... 


13, U 


Toussaint L'Ouverture, 


. 134 


Figures cut in the Rock, . 


14 


Jean Pierre Boyer, . 


. 164 


Curing tbe sick (Hakluyt, afte 




Salt Keys, 


. 173 


Benzoni), . 


. 15 


Going Ashore, . 


. 175 


Hammock (Oviedo), 


17 


Loading Cargo, 


. 175 


Sketch by Columbus, 


19 


Street in Puerto Plata, . 


, 177 


The Caravels, . 


20 


The Old Fort, . 


. 178 


The Agouti, . 


22 


Dominican American, 


. 181 


The Coati, 


23 


Market Square, 


. 183 


A Spanish Attack (De Bry), , 


26 


Washing Clothes, . 


. 184 


A Spanish Master (De Bry), . 


35 


Horse, .. 


. 186 


Spaniard in Litter, . 


35 


Water-carrier, . 


. 186 


Sugar- making (De Bry), . 


38 


The Manati, . 


. 191 


Suicides (Benzoni), . 


39 


Cabo Viejo (Old. Cape), . 


. 192 


Gold-mining (De Bry), 


40 


Cape Samana, . 


. 196 


Punishment of Negroes (De 




Balandra Head, 


. 197 


Bry), 


45 


Santa Barbara, 


. 198 


House of Don Diego Colum 




Donkey, . , . . 


. 202 


bus, .... 


47 


Meeting in Arsenal Squar 


3, . 209 


Hatero, 


50 


A Weary Traveller, . 


. 211 


An old Street in St Domingo 




The Ozama, — Ruins of Co 


lum- 


City, . . . . 


60 


bus' House, 


. 213 


Sir Francis Drake, ... 


61 


President Baez, 


. 215 


A Buccaneer, 


71 


Plan of St Domingo City, 


. 219 


A Boucan, . . . . 


72 


Old Part of St Dommgo, . 


. 220 


Merry-making, 


74 


Business Street, 


. 221 


Sir Henry Morgan, . 


75 


A Dominican School, 


. 223 



LIST OF SMALL ENGRAVINGS 





PAGE 






PAGE 


The Mausoleum of Columbus, . 


224 


The Cotton Tree, . 




350 


Cathedral Door, 


226 


Cayman, . 




355 


Old Franciscan Monastery, 


232 


The Iguana, , 




358 


St Domingo Ferns, . 


236 


Lizards, . 




364 


Entrance to Cave, . 


238 


Machete, . 




367 


Tamarind, . . . . 


240 


Primitive Sugar Mill, 




369 


Manuel Seybano, 


242 


Sugar Boilers, . 




369 


Crossing the Isabella, 


277 


Pass of the Cavaliers, 




371 


Musician, . . . . 


278 


Wild Hogs, . 




374 


Sand-box Fruit, , 


278 


Parasitical Vines, . 




376 


A Natural Farm, 


279 


Tarantula, 




377 


Old Negro, .... 


282 


Played out. 




380 


A Native Hut, 


284 


On the Bajabonita, . 




381 


Apartments, . . . . 


286 


Point Isabella, 




385 


Sensitive Plant, 


288 


Dauphin Bay, 




392 


Royal Plain, .... 


290 


Cape Haytian from the 


Sea, . 


393 


Severiuo Gonzalez, . 


292 


The Nondescript, . 




394 


The "Commandante," 


293 


Haytian Waiter, 




398 


Plaza and Old Church, Cotuy, . 


297 


"BorddeMer," . 




404 


Cemetery at Cotuy, , 


299 


A Mercantile House, 




405 


Meeting at Cotuy, . 


300 


Old French Place, . 




407 


" Camino Real," 


302 


William, . 




409 


" La Fuente," .... 


304 


Squatters in Ruined Places^^--->^ 


^-411 


The Cocoa, .... 


305 


Haytians, 


. 


420 


The only Steam-Engine in St 




Haytian Coast, 


. 


444 


Domingo, .... 


307 


St Nicolas Mole, . 


. 


445 


La Vega, . . , . 


308 


United States Minister's House, 


447 


La Vega Cathedral, . 


309 


A Street in Port-au-Prince, 


450 


Mocha Cemetery, . 


317 


Bay of Port au Prince from the 




Vicinity of Santiago, Tobacco 




House of the United States 




Train, .... 


321 


Minister, . 




451 


Market Square of Santiago 


323 


Countrywoman and 


" Picca- 




Gold-wasliing (Oviedo), . 


328 


ninny," 


. 


456 


A " Guajiro, .... 


341 


Uncles and Mammies, 


, 


460 


The Vega Real, 


343 


Scorpion, . 


. 


480 


Gigantic Cactus, 


344 


Centipede. 


, 


480 




THE BIBLIOGKAPHY OF SANTO DOMINGO 
AND HAYTI 



AcosTA (Joseph de) — Historia Natural j Moral de las Indias, 4to, 

Seville, 1590. 
Alcedos (Antonio de) — Geographical and Historical Dictionary of the 

West Indies, with large additions from Modern Voyages and Travels, 

by G. A. Thompson, Lond. 1812. 
America — The History of the Buccaneers of, gathered from several 

languages into one vol., with copperplates, Lond. 1699. 
Voyagien de Spanjaarden na West Indien, Johan Lodewyk Gott- 
fried, Leyden, 1727. 

Encyclopedia des Voyages, par J. Grausset S. Sauveur, Paris, 1796. 

An Account of the Spanish Settlements in, 1 vol. 8vo, Edin. 1762. 

L'Univers Pittoresque, Paris, 1849. 

or an Exact Account of the West Indies, especially the Spanish Pro- 
vinces, by N. N. Gent, 12mo, 1655. 
Annales des Voyages (Malte Brun), Paris, 1808. 
Anonymous — Les Principes de Kevolutions en Haiti, privately printed 

(by General Cinna le Conte, a grandson of Dessalines). 
Antonio del Monte y Tejada — Historia de Santo Domingo, desde su ^ 

Descubrimiento hasta Nuestras Dias, Madrid, 1860. 



xxii BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ^T DOMINGO. 

-— Arclienlioltz (J. M. Yon) — History of tlie Pirates, Freebooters, &c., of 

America, translated by G. Mason, 1807. 
- — Ardouin (B.) — Etudes snr I'Histoire d'Haiti^ &c., 11 vols. Paris, 1853-61. 
^-Atkins (Jolm) — Yoyage to Guinea, Brazil, and West Indies, 8vo, caK, 
1735. 

-^ Barbe de Marbois — Etat des Finances de Saint Domingue, Paris. 
1790. 

- — Observations- Personelles a I'Intendant de Saint Doniingne, Paris, 

1790. 
--Garcia (And. Gonzalez) — Historiadores Primitivos de las ludias Occiden- 
tales, fol. Madrid, 1749. 
Beard (J. E.) — The Life of Tonssaint L'Ouvertiire, 1 vol. 12mo, illus- 
trated, Lond. 1853. 
"^Beckford — Descriptive Account of tbe Island of Jamaica, with Ee- 

marks upon Sugar-cane Culture, Lond. 1790. 
— ^Bellin (N.) — Description Geograpbique des Debouquemens qui sont au 
Nord de I'lsle de Saint Domingue, Yersailles, 1773. 
-Benzoni (Girolamo) — La Historia del Mondo Novo^ Venetia, 1565. 
Bergeaud- Stella — Eoman Historique d'Haiti, Paris, 1859. 
— Berlioz d'Auriac (J.) — La Guerre Xoire, Souvenirs de Saint Domingue, 
Paris, 1862. 
Biggs (Wm.) — Military History of Europe from the commencement of 

the War with Spain, Lond. 1755. 
Bloncourt — Des Richesses IS'aturelles d'Haiti, Paris, 1861. 
-^onneau — Les Interets Europeens a Santo Domingo, Paris, 1861. 
.-Bonnycastle (Sir E. H.) — S^janish America, 2 vols. 8vo, Lond. 1818. 
Bossi (Luigi) — Yita di Cristoforo Colombo, Milan, 1818. 
Bouvet de Cresse (A. J. B.)— Histoire de la Marine de tons les Peuples 

Paris, 1824. 
Brasseur de Bourl3ourg — -Bibliotheque ]*Iexico, Guatemalienne, 8vo? 
Paris, 1871. 
• — 'Breton (.J. B. J. de la Martiniere) — Histoire de Tlsle de Saint Domingue, 
8vo, Paris, 1802. 
Browne (Dr Patrick) — Civil and Natural History of Jamaica, plates 
Lond. 1756. 

Oarderera — Informe Sobre los Eetratos de Cristobal Colon, Madrid, 

1851. 
Casas (Barth. de las) — Obras del Obi&po dela Ciudad Eeal de Chiapa 

en las Indias, &c., Seville, 1552. 
Ghanca (Dr Alvarez Diego) — Letter addressed to the Chapter of Se\dlle, 

Svo, 1859. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ST DOMINGO. xxiii 

Charlevoix (Pierre Francois Zavier de) — Histoire de I'lle Espagnol ou "^ 

St Domingne, Paris, 1730. 
Charolais — Les Interets rraii§ais et Europeens, k. Santo Domingo, Paris. _^ 

1861. 
Charton (M. Edouard) — ^Voyagers Anciens et Modernes, Paris, 1854. 

(This is one of the best collections of Voyages and Travels extant, 

and to which the author of this volume is much indebted. To 

readers of French it is invaluable.) 
Churchill (John) — Collection of Voyages and Travels, 6 vols. Lond. 1744. 
Coke (Rev. Dr Thomas) — History of the West Indies, 3 vols. Lond. 1811. — 
Collection (A New) of Voyages, 7 vols. 8vo, Lond. 1765. 
Colombo (Cristofori) — Discorso de Cesare Correnti, Milan, 1862. ' 

Paesi Nuovamente Retrovati, Vicenza, 1507. 

Memorials of Columbus, a Collection of Authentic Documents from 

original MS. at Genoa, Lond. 1823. 

Zee en Land Reysen, 1 707. 

Select Letters of C. C, by R. H. Major, Hakluyt, Lond. 1847. 

Columbus, Lettre de, publiee d'apres la rarissime version Latine con- 

servee a la Bibliotheque Imperiale, Paris, 1865. 

^^^P'Alaux — Sonlouque et Son Empire, Paris, 1856. ""^ 

i^Dalmas (M. Antoine) — Histoire de la Revolution de Saint Domingue, ^ 

&c., Paris, 1814. 
De Bry (Theodore) — Works of, principally the Edition of 1 595, Frankfort. 
De la Gerontocratie en Haiti, Paris, 1860. 
D'Hormoys — Une Visite chez Soulouque, Paris, 1859. 
Descourtilz — Guide Sanitaire des Voyaguers aux Colonies, ou Conseils 

Hygieniques des Europ^ens destinee ^ passer aux Isles, 8vo, Paris, 

1816. 
(M. E.) — Voyages d'un Naturaliste et ses Observations, 3 vols. *^ 

Paris, 1809. 
Flore Pittoresque et Medicale des Antilles, 8 vols. Paris, —, 

1829-33. 
Dessalles (M. Adrien) — Histoire Generale des Antilles, 5 vols, in 3? v/ 

8vo, Paris, 1847-8. 
Diez (Juan de la Calle) — Memorial y Noticias Sacras y Reales de las — - 

Indias Occidentales, 4to, Madrid, 1646, 
Domingans " Alerta," a political pamphlet, Santiago (St Domingo), 

1852. 
Dorvo Soulastre — Voyage par Terre de St Domingo au Cap Francais. 

Paris, 1809. 
Drake (Sir Francis) Re-vdved, or a Summary of Foure Severeal Voyages to 

the West Indies. 4to. Lond. 1653. 



xxiv BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ST DOMINGO. 

Drake, Life and "Voyages of, by John Barrow, Esq., Lond. 1843. 
t Dii Coenr Joly (S. G. ancien habitant de St Domingo) — Mannel des 

Habitans de Saint Domingue, 2 vols. Paris, 1802. 
,---' Dutertre (J. B.) — Histoire Generale des Antilles habitees par les 
Francais, 4 vols. Paris, 1667-71. 

Edwards (Bryan) — Civil and Commercial History of the West Indies, 
3 vols. foi. Lond. 1793, 1801. 

France — Colonies, Bibliotheque Historique de la Eevolution, Paris. 
1810-20. 
....-'Francisci (Erasmi) — Ost imd West Indischen Lust nnd Staats Garten, 
Nnremburg, 1668. 
Franklin— Present State of Hayti, Lond. 1828. 
^Frezier (M.) — Relation du Voyage de la Mer du Sud, &c., Amsterdam, 

1717. 
,^*^roger (Le Sieur) — Relation d'un Voyage fait en 1695-6-7 anx Indes, 
Antilles, &c., Paris, 1598. 

_^,-Gage (Thomas) — Survey of Spanish West Indies, Voyages, &a, Lond. 
171L 
' Garan Conlon (J. Ph.)— Rapport sur les Troubles de Saint Domingue, 
Paris. 

' An Inquiry into the Causes of the Insurrection of St Domingo, 

Lond. 1792. 
vGarcia (Jose Gabriel)— Compendio de la Historia de Santo Domingo, 
St Domingo, 1867. 
Gardyner (George) — Description of the New World, &c., as in the Year 
1649, Lond. 1651. 
^Gonzalez Carranza (Domingo) — A Geographical Description of the 

Spanish West Indies,. Lond. 1740. 
— Gomara (Fr. Lopez de) — La Historia General de las Indias, Anvers, 1554. 
(jranier de Cassagnac (A.) — Voyage aux Antilles, Paris, 1843. 
r^ry^neus— Navigatio Novus Orbis, Basle, 1532. 
^^juillermin (M. Gilbert E.)— Precis Historique des demiers Evenements 
de la Partie de Test de St Domingue depuis 1808, &c., Paris, 1811, 
Guridi (Zavier Angulo)— Elementos, &c., de la; Isla de Santo Domiogo, 

St Domingo, 1866. 
Gurney (Joseph John)— A Winter in the West Indies, plates, Lond. 
1840. 

Hakewell (James)— Picturesque Tour of the Island of Jamaica, 4to, 
coloured plates, Lond. 1825. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ST DOMINGO. xxv 

Hakluyt's (Ricliard) Voyages, History of the West Indies, &c., Lond. 

1812. 
vHanna (Rev. W. S.) — Notes of a Visit to some Parts of Hayti, Lond. 

1836. 
Harris— Navigantum Itinerantium Bibliotlieca (Indies), fol. 1744. 
Harvey (W. W.) — Sketches of Hayti from tlie Expulsion of the French 

to the Death of Cristophe, 1827. 
Haytian Constitution, Tariff, &c., Pub. Doc. 
Haytian Papers published by authority, to which is a Preface by 

Pierce Sanders, Agent of the Haytian Government, Lond. 1816. 
Hazard (Samuel) — Cuba with Pen and Pencil, with over 300 illustra- 
tions, Hartford and Lond. 1871. 
Helps (A.)— The Conquerors of the New World, Lond. 1848. 
Herrera (Antonio de) — Descripcion de las Indias Occidentales, 4 fol. vols. 

Madrid, 1730. 
Histoire Generale des Voyages par Dumont D'Urville, and" others, 

Paris, 1859. 
Histoire Naturelle du Cacao et du Sucre, Amsterdam, 1720. 
Historie der Boecaniers op Vreybuyters van America, Amsterdam 

Nicolaas Ten Hoorn, plates, 1700. 
Holmes (Abel) — American Annals, a Chronological History of America, 

2 vols. 
Humboldt et Bonpland — Voyage aux Regions Equinoxiales du 

Nouveau Continent, Paris, 1825. 

Inginac — Secretaire Haitien (under Boyer), Memoires, Kingston, 

Jamaica, 1843. 
Irving (Washington) — History of the Life and Voyages of Columbus, 

4 vols. Lond. 1828. 

Jackson (Dr Robt.) — Treatise on the Fevers of Jamaica, with Observa- 
tions on the Intermittent Fever of America, 1791. 

Febrile Diseases, 1820. 

■ — jJefferys (Thomas) — Natural and Civil History of the French Dominions 
in North and South America, fol. Lond. 1760. 

A Description of the Spanish Islands, &c., Lond. 1762. 

uan (Don George, Capt. in Spanish Navy) — A Voyage to South 
America, translated, Lond. 1807. 
de y Ulloa — Noticias Secretas de America, 4to, Lond. 1826. 

La America — Cronica Hispano Americana, Madrid, 1S54. 
Labat (R. P.) — Nouveau Voyage aux lies de I'Amerique, 8 vols. Paris, 
1742. 



xxvi BIBLIOGEAPHY OF ST DOMINGO. 

La Croix (Pampliile, Lieut.-General Barno) — Memoirs pour Servir a 
rHistoire de la Revolution de St Domingue, 2 vols. Paris, 
1819. 

Laet (Joan de) — Novis OrMs, Leyden, 1630. 

La Harpe— Histoire Gen6rale des Voyages, Paris. 

Las Casas — Relation des Voyages et des Decou^Tetes que les Espagnols 
ont fait dans les Indes Occidentales, avec le Relation Curiense des 
Voyages de Sieur Monteauban, Capitain des Flibustiers, Amster- 
dam, 1698. 

La Vega (Pedro de la) — Cronica de los Prayles, &c., de Sant Hieronymo, 
Alcala, 1539. 

(Manuel de) — Historia del Descubrimiento de la America, Mexico, 

1826. 

L'Espinasse de Langeac (N. de)— Colomb dans les Fers, a poem, Lend, 
and Paris, 1782. 

Llorente (Juan Ant.) — Annales de la Inquisicion, &c., plates, Madrid, 
1841. 

Lyonnet (Le C.) — Statistique de la Partie Espagnol de Saint Domingue, 
Paris, 1800. 

Macgregor (Jobn) — The Progress of America, 2 vols. Lond. 1847. 
Mackenzie (C, British Consul) — Notes on Haiti during a Residence in 

that Republic, 2 vols. Lond. 1830. 
Madiou (Thomas, fils) — Histoire d'Haiti, 3 vols. 8vo, Port-au-Prince, 

1847. 
Malenfant (Colonel) — Des Colonies, et particulierement de St Domingue, 

Paris, 1814. 
'Maries (M. la Croix de J.) — Histoire Descriptive et Pittoresque de St 

Domingue, Tours, 1852. 
Metral (Ant.) — Histoire de I'Expedition des Francais a Saint Domingue, 

Paris, 1844. 
Metral (Antoine) — Histoire de I'Expedition Militaire des Francais a 

Saint Domingue, with Notes by Isaac, the son of Pierre Toussaint. 

portrait, 1841. 
^lonardes — Historia Medicinal de las Cosas que se Traen de Nuestras 

Indias Occidentales que sirven en Medecina, woodcuts, Seville, 

1574. 
Montgomery (James) — The West Indies, a poem, Lond. 1814. 
Moore (J. H.) — A New and Complete Collection of Voyages, 2 vols. fol. 

illustrated, Lond. 1785. 
Moreau de Saint Mer}^ — Description Topographique, Physique, &c., de la 

Partie Francais de ITle de St Domingue, 2 vols. Phil. 1798. 
Partie Espagnol, 2 vol?. 1796. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ST DOMINGO. xxvii 

Mosely (Dr Benj.) — Treatise on Tropical Diseases and on the Climate ol 

the West Indies, 8vo, Lond. 1803. 
Munoz (J. B.)— Historia del Nnevo Mundo, 4to, Madrid, 1793. • 

Navarrete (M. Fernandez de) — CoUeccion ineditos para servir por la 

Historia de Espana, Madrid, 1842. 
Navarrete (M. Fernandez de) — CoUeccion de los Viages y Descubri- 

mientos, &c., 5 vols. Madrid, 1825. 
Nicolai (Eliud) — Navigationes in den West nnd Ost Indien der Holland. 

Engellandischen Compagnien, Miinchen, 1619. 
Nicolaus — Syllacias Letter, translated into English by the Rev. John 

Mulligan, New York, 1859. 
Nuix (El Abate Don Juan) — Reflexiones Imparciales sobre la Hu- 

manidad de los Espanoles en las Indias, traducida, &c., Madrid, 

1732. 

Oexmelin (A. 0.) — Histoire des Aventuriers des Boucaniers et de k 

Chambre des Comtes etablie dans les Indes, 2 vols., maps and 

plates, Paris, 1688. 
Ogilby's Accurate Description of the New World, with the Remarkable 

Voyages thither, &c., plates, 1671. 
Osier (Edward) — The Voyage, a poem written in the West Indies, 

Lond. 1830. 
Oviedo (Gonzalo Fernandez de) — Cronicas de las Indias, various 

editions ; La Historia General de las Indias, (fec^ 1547, 1535, 

1851-5. 

Philoponi (H.) — Nova Typis, Navigatio in Novum Mundum. 

Pinkerton (John) — General Collection af Voyages and Travels, illus- 
trated, Lond. 1809. 

Placide Justin — Histoire de I'lle de Hayti, Ecrite sur les Documents 
Officiel et des Notes Communiques par Sir Jas. Baskett, Paris, 1826. 

Poey (Andres) — Article on Antiquities of St Domingo in Transactions oj 
ike American Ethnological Society, vol. iii. p. 1, New York, 1845. 

Ponce — Recueil des Vues des Lieux Principaux de la Colonie de St 
Domingue, Paris, 1791, to accompany M. St Mery's work. 

Port-au-Prince— Production Historique, Report des Gardes Nationals, 
4to, Port-au-Prince, 1792. 

Purchas — His Pilgrimes, 5 vols. Lond.. 1625. 

Rainsford (Marcus) — Historical Account of the Black Empire of Hayti, 

&c., 4to, maps and plates, 1805. 
Raynal (G. T.)— His^toire Philosophique et Politique des Etablissements 



xxviii BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ST DOMINGO. 

et du Commerce des Eiiropeens dans les Deux Indes, 10 vols. 

Paris, 1820. 
•*Relacion Verdadera del Horrible Huracan que Sobrevino a la Isla St 

Domingo, Aug. 15, 1680, Madrid. 
Remy (Saint) — Solution de la Question Haitienne, Paris, 1854. 

Petion et Haiti, Memoires pour Servir a I'Histoire de Haiti, 1851. 

L'Ouverture, Chef des Noirs Insurgees a St Domingue, Paris, 1850. 

Memoirs, &c., 1853. 

Revue des Deux Mondes (Various Articles), Paris. 

Robertson (Dr "William) — History of America, 4 vols. Lond. 1812. 

Charles the Fifth, edited by W. H. Prescott, Lond. 1857. 

Robin (C. C.)— Voyage dans I'lnterieur de la Louisianne, St Domingue, 

&c., Paris, 1807. 
-Rochefort (Poincy de Louis) — Histoire Naturelle et Morale des lies 

Antilles, &c., Rotterdam, 1658. 
Rogers (Samuel) — The Voyage of Columbus, a poem, Lond. 1812. 
Roselly de Lorgues — Vie et Voyages de Cristophe Colomb, 1 vol. 8vo 

illustrated, Paris, 1862. 

Saint Domingo Constitution, St Domingo, 1854. 

Cuentas Generales, 1848. 

History of the Island of (attributed to Sir Jas. Baskett), Lond. 1818. 

Actos Legislatives, &c., de la Republica Dominicana, St Domingo, 

1846. 

Essai sur I'Histoire Naturelle de I'lsle, Paris, 1776. 

Dios, Patria, y Libertad, a pamphlet, St Domingo, 1855. 

Sanchez y Valverde (Don Antonio) — Idea del Valor de la Isla Espanola, 
Madrid, 1785. 

San Domingo — Annexation of, pamphlet, anonymous, New York, 
1870. 

Santo Domingo — Repoi^t of the U. S. Commission of Inquiry to, Wash- 
ington, 1871. 

Schoelcher (M. V.) — Des Colonies Frangaises, Paris, 1842. 

Schomburgk — The History of Barbadoes, Lond. 1847. 

Notes on St Domingo, in Proceedings of British Association for 

1851. 

Spain— Ordenanzas Reales del Consejo de las Indias, Valladolid, 1603, 
and Madrid, 1585. 

(Church of) — Historia y Origen de las Rentas de la Yglesia de 

Esj^na, Madrid, 1828. 

Tobacco— Storia Distincta y Cnriosa del Tobacco, &c., Ferrara, 1758. 
Troll ope ('Anthony)— The West Indies, Lond. 1860. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ST BOMINGO. xxix 

Varnhag-en (Francisco ad de) — La Verdadera Guanahani de Colon, 

Santiago de Chili, 1864. 
Vastey (Baron de) Essai sur les Causes des Revolutiones et des Guerres 
Civiles de Haiti, Sans Souci, 1819. 

Le Systeme Colonial De voile, Cape Henry, 1814. 

Eefiexions Politiques sur les Noirs et les Blancs, &c., Sans Souci, 

1817. 

Walton (W.) — Present State of the Spanish Colonies, including a par- 
ticular Account of Hispaniola, 2 vols. Lond. 1819. 
West India Sketch-Book, 2 vols. 12mo, Lond. 1834. 

Directory, Lond. 1869. 

Whitehouse (W. F.) — Essays on Sugar-Farming in Jamaica, 1843. 
Whittier (John G.)— Poetical Works, Lond. 1869. 
Wimpfen (Baron de) — Reisen nach St Doming Erfurt, 1798. 



Note. — There have been at times also innumerable Pamphlets pub- 
lished on Hayti by refugees and others, of which, though glanced at by 
the author, he does not deem it necessary to include in the above. 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



PU4 





SANTO DOMINGO. 



CHAPTER I. 

" Nymphs of romance, 
Youths graceful as the fa-wn, with rapturous glance 
Spring from the glades, and down the green steeps run 
To greet their mighty guests, 'the children of the sun.* 



Santo Domingo — Its Extent^ Location^ Physical Peculiarities — 
The Aborigines — Their Habits^ Customs^ ^'c, 

Tj^IYE days' good steaming from New York, or about 
-■- twelve from Land's End, England, lies in the South 
Atlantic a famous island — famous in ages past, and to be 
celebrated in the time to come, as the '' cradle of the New 
World"— St Domingo. 

J^otorious for its misfortunes and those of its inhabitants 
in many decades of years, it had in the past almost lost its 
existence in the political world ; and the names even of St 
Domingo and Hayti were held by many intelligent people 
to be those of two separate countries, until the efforts of the 
Republic of St Domingo to find a place of safety and pro- 
tection among the United States of America has attracted 
attention to this almost forgotten yet historic isle. 

Probably no spot on earth, take it all together, and look- 
mg at it m its natural aspects, can be found more lovely ; 
and it is safe to say, probably no extent of territory, the 
3 



Z3L 








''»-^M-' 




r^'^. 



\>f & s^ 



i 



SANTO DOMINGO, 



world over, contains within itself, under proper auspices, so 
many elements of prosperity, worldly success, and happi- 
ness as the Island of St Domingo. 

Many circumstances serve to render the history of this 
island peculiarly interesting to every intelligent mind, for 
here we have realised, in almost every part, the actual exist- 
ence and daily life of Columbus ; here we have the place 
first colonised in the !New World by Europeans— the start- 
ing point of that civilisation which, spreading itself out in 
the New World, is now penetrating to those Indies of which 
the '' Grand Admiral " thought this very island was a por- 
tion ; here we have also the spot where was first inaugurated 
the beginning of African slavery in the Western World, 
as well as the real movement that has served to end it. 
Upon this spot has been wielded the power of almost every 
European Grovernment, the blood of whose children has 
been lavishly poured forth upon its soil. 

Though fire and sword, cruelty, persecution, and blood- 
shed have traversed this noble isle in almost every part, and 
often hand-in-hand, yet to-day it rests upon the bosom 
of those tropic seas, as beautiful, majestic, and fruitful 
in all its natural gifts as when Columbus first discovered 
it, waiting only the assistance of law and sound government, 
accompanied by intelligence, industry, and enterprise, to 
take its place in the political arena as one of the most 
favoured of states. . Lying in the Atlantic Ocean at the 
entrance to the Grulf of Mexico, second of the Great Antilles 
to Cuba in size only, Santo Domingo yet, by its position and 
natural advantages, ranks first of all the beautiful islands 
in these waters ; and though to-day impoverished and a 
beggar, yet she will prove, under proper care, such a pre- 
cious jewel to the power that may be induced to take her 
under its protection, as many kings would be glad to place 
in their crowns. 

The territorial extent of the whole island, from its ex- 
treme eastern point. to its most western cape (Tiburon), is 



ITS LOCATION. 



about 400 English miles ; and tlie extreme breadth of its 
widest part nearly 180 miles — the area within its bound- 
aries, exclusive of the adjacent isles, being of about the 
same extent as Ireland, or 25,000 square miles. 

Of this territory, the negro Eepublic of Hayti occupies at 
the western end something less than one-third the whole 
extent, the remainder being nominally under the control 
of the Dominican Republic. 

Situated in 18" 20^ north latitude, and in longitude 68° 40' 
west from Greenwich, St Domingo has for near neighbour^ 
Cuba, from which it is distant about 70 miles south-east ; 
from Jamaica, 130 miles north-east; and about 60 miles 
west-north-west of Puerto Rico ; possessing all the advan- 
tages and few of the disadvantages of those three islands. 

Such is the peculiar formation of this magnificent land, 
that within its boundaries is found almost every variety of 
climate ; while in the character of its soils and vegetation, 
it is equally varied. This fact is due to certain peculiarities 
of its position, and to the singular manner in which its 
principal mountain ranges are placed. 

These consist generally of long chains, of which there are 
two principal ones, stretching the whole length of the island, 
their general direction being from east to west. From these 
principal ranges, which on each side leave a space nearly 
equal between them and the coast, but which do not always 
run parallel to one another, go a number of secondary 
chains, which, running in different directions, divide the 
land between into valleys as various in depth as extent : and 
these valleys are again divided by hills and ridges of dimen- 
sions as various as are the valleys they divide, so that the 
secondary chains and ridges appear like so many suppor- 
ters given by Nature to the principal mountains. 

The secondary chains that run from the sides of the prin- 
cipal ones towards the sea, divide the intermediate space 
into plains of various figures and extent ; and these plains 
are subdivided and sheltered by other ridges, which, going 



4 SANTO DOMINGO. 

sometimes even to the beach, serve them as a sort of bound- 
aries or ramparts. 

The two great chains of mountains rise as they advance 
from the east ; but this progressive elevation does not con- 
tinue for more than forty leagues, after which the heights 
remain the same for a considerable distance. They seem 
to widen as they approach the west, till, coming to the 
middle of the narrow part of the island, they narrow 
again, still preserving their height, until, in fact, towards 
the western part, the mountains are almost piled on top of 
each other. For this reason, seen at sea, the whole island 
appears completely mountainous. 

But in this mountainous form lies the very secret of its 
great fertility, for these mountains act as immense reser- 
voirs, whose waters, by means of innumerable rivers, are 
afterwards borne in every direction. They are the barriers 
erected by Nature to repel the violence of the winds, to 
temper the rays of a scorching sun, and to vary the tem- 
perature of the air. 

With occasional exceptions, all these mountains are 
covered with vegetation of some sort, but principally of the 
most valuable kinds of trees, the wood of which is used in 
commerce ; and though the summits of some raise their 
rocky peaks bald of trees or vegetation, yet the majority are 
covered with mould, rich in the accumulated vegetable 
manure of centuries of decay. 

For the general reader, it will suffice to make himself 
familiar with the names of only the two principal ranges of 
mountains, the longest of which is the most southern; 
beginning at the extreme eastern end of the island, and 
running nearly through its centre, it ends near Dondon in 
the Haytian part, thus dividing the Dominican portion 
into two districts, the ISTorth and South. This range is 
familiarly known as the Cordillera or Cibao range. 

Nearly parallel, and to the north of the Cibao, extends 
the ffreat rano-e known as the Monte Cristo mountains 



PHYSIGAL FEATURES. 



beginning at the bay of that name, and running almost 
parallel with the line of the north coast, it finally ends in 
the peninsula of Samana. 

Between these two ranges lies probably one of the most 
fertile, beautiful, well-watered plains or valleys in the world, 
— the famous '' Vega Real," or Royal Plain of Columbus. 

The valleys of the Dominican part are more numerous 
and of greater extent than those in the Haytian, while 
the mountains of the former are notably rich in valuable 
mines and minerals; the climate and soil being equally 
varied throughout the two portions. 

Having given thus a casual glance at the general physical 
peculiarities of the island, we shall be better able to enjoy 
a journey over it, especially after glancing at some of the 
principal events of its histor}^ 

The Dominican Republic having, by a vote of its people, 
expressed a desire to annex itself to the United States, ap- 
plication to this effect was made by the Dominican authori- 
ties in 1869, and -after much discussion in the national halls 
of legislation, a commission was appointed by the United 
States Government to proceed to St Domingo, and investi- 
gate the condition of affairs on that island and report thereon. 

This commission, sailing from the United States in the 
American man-of-war Tennessee^ January 17, 1871, reached 
the island at Samana Bay, January 24. 

For his own purposes, as well as to act as an independent 
newspaper correspondent, the author left New York on the 
1st day of February 1871 in the steamer Tybee^ the only 
steam-vessel that keeps up communication between the Re- 
public of St Domingo and the United States. The voyage, 
begun in the bitter weather of a Northern winter, was with- 
out any event of interest to the general reader, and he can- 
not do better, therefore, than occupy the time in reading 
over with me a few chapters of the history of the famous 
island for which we are bound. 

Those of us who had been in the tropics before, looked 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



forward to the time when we should once again breathe the 
delicious air of the balmy clime of the Antilles ; for there 
seems to be something particularly fascinating about the 
tropics, as well to Governments as to individuals : and we 
find it the same with both ; having tasted of the delights 
of the tropic clime, there remains always a desire to renew 
either acquaintance or possession once made therein. 

Looking back to the period when the New World was first 
discovered, we see, in the histories of the most prominent 
nations of the time, the intense desire of their rulers to 
become the possessors of domains described invariably in 
such glowing terms by the subjects sent out on voyages of 
discovery to those new and wondrous lands comprised in 
the general name of '^ The Indies;" desires which, being 
fulfilled, gave to the monarchies of the Old World, in almost 
every case, colonies and possessions in the Western World, 
some of which to this day, notwithstanding changes in 
government, domestic trouble, and long and bloody foreign 
wars, still remain attached thereto. 

Turning over the pages of the ancient chroniclers, we find 
they all agree in their descriptions of the flowery lands, 
uniting as they all do in using the most glowing language, 
as well as the most highly-coloured hyperbole, in their ac- 
counts of these new countries. 

Even those adventurers who came from the sunny lands 
of the South of Europe, and who, it might be supposed, were 
well familiarised to the charms and novelties of the azure 
skies, gorgeous colouring, and luxuriant vegetation of the 
tropics, are in nowise behind their more phlegmatic brethren 
of the North in their glowing eulogies of the new^ " Paradise." 

Reading some of the descriptions of the great Columbus 
himself, written to his benefactors under the influence of 
his first impressions of the West Indies, we seem rather to 
be reading the warm and glowing descriptions of romantic 
youth, than the staid, cautious relation of a man of mature 
life, such as he is described to have been at this period ; and 



COLUMBUS. 



as we scan the outlines of the picture that seems more likely 
to be a true likeness than many of the others of him, we look 
in vain in the features of the calm, dignified man before us for 
the writer of such lines as these concerning St Domingo: — 
'' I swear to your majesties there is not in the world a 




Columbus. (Charton)* 

better nation nor a better land ; they love their neighbours 
as themselves, and their discourse is ever sweet and gentle, 

* From the portrait in the gallery of Paolo Giovo (born at Como in 1483), 
who had a beautiful collection of portraits of the distinguished men of his 
time, and who always considered this as representing with fidelity the 
features of Columbus. 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



and accompanied with a smile ; and though it is true that they 
are naked, yet their manners are decorous and praiseworthy." 

When Columbus, traversing, in his first voyage in Decem- 
ber 1492 J the narrow channel that separates Cuba from St 
Domingo, came in sight of the latter island, he found a 
land even more beautiful in his eyes than that of Cuba, in 
the description of whose shores he had already almost ex- 
hausted the language of panegyric; and of the actual supe- 
riority of St Domingo in every respect he gave practical 
illustration by founding a colony on its n'orth coast, giving 
to the island the name, it seems, in honour of his adopted 
country, of Hispanola, or Little Spain, imagining that it 
resembled the ^'most favoured provinces of Andalusia." 

As to the number of the original inhabitants found on 
this island at the time of its discovery, the authorities of 
the time differ in placing the total at from one to three 
millions; but of the appearance, manners, and customs of 
the natives they all fortunately pretty nearly agree. 

Columbus himself states, that sending a party of men to 
one of the villages, now thought to be Grosmorne, in Hayti, 
they found it to consist of nearly a thousand houses, showing 
that there were at the time towns of some extent. 

The original inhabitants were a mild and peaceful race, 
recommending themselves to Columbus by their '^ sweet- 
ness of temper;" of rather tall and graceful form, but, 
on the part of the 'men, of hideous visage, with nostrils 
wide and open, and teeth badly discoloured. Their skin 
was of a yellowish brown colour naturally, but from the 
habit of anointing their bodies with ^'roucou," and other 
extracts of vegetable matter, to protect the skin from the 
attacks of insects, it had a reddish appearance. 

The women were considered as rather comely in face as 
in form, it being related that they took great fancy to the 
Europeans ; and the Spanish chronicles are filled with 
romantic episodes of the connections formed between the 
natives and the adventurers. 



ABORIGINES. 



Both men and women were abundantly supplied with long 
black hair on their heads. The females of mature age alone 
wore clothing, consisting of a simple skirt of cotton cloth 
around the waist, and extending to the knees ; while the 
men, young girls, and children were usually perfectly nude. 

The shape of head peculiar to these people was produced 
by artificial means, that forced almost entirely away the 
forehead. This was brought about by the mothers, who 
took care to hold the head of the child strongly pressed 
between the hands, or two pieces of flat board, while the 
children were yet newly born ; ^^ from which," naively says 
an old writer, " when the children grew up, their skulls 
became so hard and compressed, that the Spaniards fre- 




Ciiribbeau skull, after Gall. 

quently broke their swords in two when they attempted to 
cut open their heads." 

They all seemed possessed of a phlegmatic temperament, 
the men especially inclined to melancholy ; and it is related 
they ate very little food, and that of the simplest nature, a 
peculiarity noticed among their descendants to-day. A crab, 
a few roots or vegetables, sufficed to nourish them ; but they 
were not endowed with much physical strength, and yet 
there were many long-lived people among them. 

They did no work, passing their lives in the greatest idle- 
ness ; they danced a greater part of the day, and when they 




10 SANTO DOMINGO. 

could do that no longer, they slept. Thej^ had no hopes, de- 
sires, or ambitions, and some writers say they were without 
passions : but the account others give of their habits of in- 
dulgence, of the plurality of wives, and of their fierceness 
in conflict when roused, show that this was an error. 

They had no history, no writings, naught but traditions, 

upon which have been generally conjectured the theories 

of the authors of the time; their songs alone 

gave idea of these traditions, and to these 

they danced, the accompaniment being the 

noise made by beating on a tambor or drum 

of peculiar construction, made of a hollow 

cylinder of wood, entirely closed except an 

opening in the side, and this drum was at 

'"'^^* times beaten by the principal man or chief. 

The same instrument, somewhat varied in shape, seems to 

be often used by the Africans to-day in Cuba. 

These dances were of various kinds ; sometimes the men 
were ranged on one side, the women on the other ; some- 
times they began one by one, until the whole assembly were 
on their feet. Reading the account of these people in the 
early writers, one is not sm-prised to learn that they were a 
listless energy-lacking people, for they committed the gross- 
est sensual excesses ; they danced until they could dance no 
more, and falling upon the ground, they intoxicated them- 
selves with the fume's of tobacco, which they ptoduced in a 
peculiar way. Upon some half-burning branches they 
spread some leaves of the tobacco-plant not yet quite dry, 
then they took a tube made in the form of a Y, the foot of 
which they placed in the smoke, and its two arms in their 
nostrils, inhaling through it until they were intoxicated by 
the fumes of the tobacco, when, prostrated upon the ground, 
they remained in a state of stupefaction, from which they 
recovered utterly inert and feeble; the Cacique alooe being 
carried from the scene of these orgies by his women to a 
bed or hammock. 



CAKOES. 



11 



Polygamy seemed to be the custom, and the women had 
charge of the funeral ceremonies of their husbands, having 
the privilege (?), if they desired, of putting themselves to 
death on the bodies of their deceased spouses. 

They seem to have had no implements or tools of any kind. 
if we except a sort of hatchet, made of stone, with which 
they dressed their canoes or piraguas, which they made ex- 
clusively out of trees' by burning out the trunks, and to get 
the tree down, a fire was built round the base of it until 




Canoe. (OTiedo.) 

it toppled over. These canoes were peculiar in shape, differ- 
ing from those of the Indians of Korth America, and yet 
were very serviceable in the usually placid waters of the 
islands, being propelled by paddles, and occasionally by a 
small sail of cotton cloth. 

The habitations of these people were in accordance with 
the mild character ol their climate, their houses being sim- 
ply huts of various dimensions, constructed of the bamboo, 
roofed with thatch, or roofed and walled with the palm 
bark or leaf. These huts contained usually but one room, 
and were always only one story in height, though some of 



12 



SANTO DOMINGO. 




the better cabins had in front a portico, which seems to 
have been considered amongst them a mark of wealth or 
distinction. 

In the gardens, if they can 
be called snch, of their habi- 
tations, the owners grew a 
few frnits and vegetables, 
including the maize or 
Indian-corn, of which latter 
Benzoni says they harvested 
two crops a year, and from 
its grain they made, in the 
rudest manner, a kind of 
bread, apparently similar to 
the "corn dodgers" of the 
southern United States. 

Benzoni's description of 
the wine made also from the 
Indian-corn is not calculated 
beverage on 
the part of 
the novice ; 
for, he says, 
the grain, 
at one period 
of the manu- 
facture, was 
masticated by 
the women, 
who, putting 
it in their 
mouths, slow- 
ly chewed it, 
and then, 
with an effort, 
coughed the material out upon a platter or leaf, from whence 



Hut. (Oviedo.) 

to encourage a taste for that 




(Hut, Oviedo ) 



I 



WIFE-MAKING, 



13 



it was thrown into a jar with the other mixture, and 
boiled. 




Wine-making. (Benzoni.) 



Curiously enough, this method of wine-making prevails 
to-day among some of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. 

The natives used also another 
kind of bread, called cassava, 
made from the manioc or yuca 
root ; and many of their customs, 
as described, ai»e similar to those 
of the people of the interior of the 
island to-day. 

The wonderful fertility of the 
soil, in those early days, may be 
judged from the fact that the only 
implement used in its cultivation 
was a pointed stick, burned hard 




in the fire, with which holes were 



Idol. 



14 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



made in the ground, into which were placed the seeds of 
the few plants they needed to cultivate. 

The same products brought forth then 
by the bountiful hand of Nature are 
still poured out in lavish profusion, al- 
most unaided by the hand of man. 

The religion of these islanders was 
the worship of idols, cut out of stone, 
in the Tudest manner, to represent 
grotesque animals or human beings, 
the name of these gods being zemes. 

One of their traditions was, that the 
sun and moon came out of a cavern of 
their isle, and were made to enlighten 
the world; to this cavern the natives 
made pilgrimages ; one of these had 
£doi. 3.n entrance, it is related, near Dondon, 

in the northern part of Hayti; and 
St Mery says, when he visited it, as late as 1789, remnants 





I 



Figures cut in the rock. 



RELIGION 



15 



of rude sculpture on the walls of the grotto, and idols, 
were yet to be seen there ; while traces of the offerings 
brought for the gods have been found in many of the 
caverns in the island. 

The special ceremony seems to have been one appointed by 
the Cacique, calling all the people together on a certain 
day ; and they, joining in procession, with the Cacique at 
their head, resorted to the temple, where were the gods and 
the priests or '^ butios," being accompanied in their march 




Curing tlae sick. (Hakluyt after Benzoni.) 

by the beating of drums and tambours. Offerings were 
made of various kinds, often amid the wildest cries and 
noises ; ^^ and others," says Benzoni, '' put sticks down 
their throats when they went before the idols, so that their 
gods might see that they had nothing bad in their hearts or 
stomachs when they vomited." 

The priests acted as doctors, using plants in lieu of 
drugs, making particular use of tobacco in most cases, 
which they administered to the patient until he was 

4 



16 SANTO DOMINGO. 

stupefied, and upon returning to himself lie was considered 
as cured. 

The original name of the island was Haiti, which among 
the natives signified high ground; and in the eastern 
part they had another name, Quisqueya, signifying mother 
of the earth ; while, in the western part, it was called 
Babeque or Bohio, which signified land of many villages 
or habitations. 

At the time of its discovery, it was divided into five large 
divisions, each under the government of a Cacique (a name 
equally applicable to a chief or a province), and each of 
these divisions was subdivided into minor provinces. 

The government was despotic, though it seems to have 
been mild in its execution of authority, except in extreme 
cases, as in robberies, where the ofi'ender was impaled to 
death. The government of the principalities was hereditary, 
but if a Cacique died without children, his estates passed 
to his sisters rather than his brothers, for the reason, as 
they held, that the children were more likely to be of pure 
blood. 

The following were the five districts, viz. : — 

Magna, in the Indian dialect signifying " realm of the 
plain," its capital being where was afterwards built the old 
town of Concepcion de la Yega, in the interior of the island ; 
its chief was Gruarionex. 

Marien had its capital in the vicinity of Cape Haytien or 
Francais, its chief being Guacanarie. 

Higuey had its capital in the present village of the same 
name, so renowned in the annals of superstition of the island, 
the Cacique Cayacoa having it under his command. 

Maguana had its capital where now is San Juan, the 
Cacique being the famous Caonabo, so celebrated in the sad 
but romantic history of these people. 

Xaragua had its capital in the plain of the cul de sac 
in the Haytian part, where was at one time the old town 
of the same name. Bebechio was its chief. 



DIVISIONS. 



Though the island was thus subdivided, there appears to 
have been but one race upon it, unless the theory that some 
authors have raised, that those in the western part, from 
being more warlike and savage in their manners, were of a 
distinct race : but the same language, with some varia- 
tions, seems to have prevailed. 

This language, says Charlevoix, was not rude or uncouth. 




Hammock. (Oviedo.) 



but was easy to learn, and some of theii' words were after- 
wards incorporated in the dialect of the island. From their 
word canoa came canot (canoe); from d"" uracane (hurricane), 
ouragan ; while not only was the word d ^amacka (ham- 
mock) adopted, but the article itself found its way into 
general use by the new-comers. 



CHAPTER IT. 



When first Columbus dared the Western Main, 
Spanned the broad gulf, and gave a world to Spai;; 
How thrilled liis soul with tumults of delight, 
When through the silence of the sleepless night 
Burst shouts of triumph ! " 



The Conquest — Landing of Columbus — First Settleraent — 
Columbus's Return on Second Voyage, and Foiinding of the 
First Permanent Colony — Expeditions to the Literior — 
Settlements there — Rapid Advance of the Island — Columbus's 
Hard Treatment — Ovando's Rule. 

A T daybreak, on tlie morning of the 6tli of December 
-^ 1492, Christopher Columbus found himself a short 
distance from the north-west coast of the island of Haj^ti ; 
and at vespers of the same day he entered a bay on the same 
coast, which, in honour of its being the fete day of San 
Nicolas, he called by that name, and which it has retained 
up to the present time. 

A drawing, said to have been made by Columbus, at- 
tempts to give an idea of his first arrival off the island. 
It suggests, however, but two ideas, that the country was 
hilly and that the inhabitants went naked ; but his written 
descriptions give a very accurate idea of the country. In 
fact, the traveller of to-day, with these in his hand, will 
need no better guide to the general characteristics of this 
very same coast. 

Sailing leisurely along the coast, he entered a port that 
he called Concepcion ; and there erecting a cross upon the 
shore, he took possession of the island for the King and 
Queen of Spain, giving it the name, which it bore for a 



FIRST SETTLEMENT. 



19 



long time among the early writers, of " Hispanola," many 
of whom spoke of it also as '' the Spanish Island." 

The first settlement was temporarily made in the Bay of 
St Thomas, to-day called Aeul (in Haiti), and originated 




Sketch by Columbus. 

through the wrecking of one of the two remaining caravels ; 
for Martin Pinzon had deserted Columbus off the coast of 
Cuba with the third. From the materials of the wreck a 
fort or tower was built, which was called La Navidad. 



20 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



Here it was that Columbus first heard of the gold regions 

of the Cibao ; but, natur- 
ally enough, his great aim 
was now to return safely 
to Spain, and make known 
the news of his great dis- 
covery. Having therefore 
gathered from the Indians 
many articles rudely work- 
ed in gold, as well as other 
curiosities, he was anxious 
to set sail, and convey the 
grand tidings in person 
to his sovereigns. 

He left, therefore, a 
small party of men with 
munitions, provisions, and 
other supplies, to keep 
them for a year, giving 
also abundant instruc- 
tions as to their conduct during his absence ; and on the 
4th January 1493 he took his leave of them, not one of 
whom was he ever to see again. 

Sailing eastward along the coast, and stopping occa- 
sionally, he was joined at Monte Cristo by the missing vessel 
that he had parted from in Cuba ; and having a favourable 
wind, he set sail, continuing his voyage. At one of these 
stoppages, Columbus saw a new sort of creature, which 
he gravely stated to be sirens or mermaids, but which were 
the ''manati" or sea-cow, which are still found in these 
waters, and which, from their strange form, their gambols 
in the water, and the peculiar plaintive cry they emit, 
might readily, when seen at a distance, be taken by the 
novice for semi-human beings. 

Finally, having reached the Bay of Samana, he deter- 
mined to set sail for Spain, which place he reached the 15th 




The Caravels. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 21 

of March 1493, entering into the port of Palos, from whence 
he had sailed the 3d of August in the preceding year. 

The important results of this great discovery were now 
to be realised ; for, after the reception of Columbus, and 
the excitement caused thereby, had somewhat subsided, 
attention was given to the means to profit by this great 
discovery, and immediate preparations were made to fit out 
an expedition on a larger scale. 

The departure of this second expedition was very different 
from that of the first, for gathered together in the Bay oi 
Cadiz were seventeen vessels of different sizes, two of them 
being of the largest class ; and upon these were gathered 
some 1200 men, of every rank and station, from the noble 
to the humble labourer; there were also skilful pilots, as 
well as many artisans of various kinds. Stores of all kinds 
were also put on board, as well for the purposes of existence 
as for trading, while particular attention was paid to the 
supplies needed by a new colony in making a permanent 
settlement. Upon Columbus himself had been bestowed the 
chief command of the expedition, and to him had been ac- 
corded also unlimited power over the new territory. 

Among the supplies, one of the most important in the 
future welfare of the colony was the different animals taken 
out for breeding purposes ; for, strangely enough, the islands 
-of the Antilles do not seem to have been possessed of quad- 
rupeds of any note, and mention is made of only some four 
kinds, all of which are to-day extinct except the agouti. 
Of these, the coati, a sort of cat, and the cories or agouti, 
a species of hare, are only mentioned as furnishing animal 
food to the natives, if we except the flesh of the iguana, 
which still exists, and is considered a great delicacy. 

On the 25th September 1493, in the presence of a vast 
concourse of spectators, this second expedition set sail from 
the Bay of Cadiz, and after a prosperous voyage, touching at 
various points and islands, the fleet came to anchor in the 
Bay of Sam ana, the 22d November 1493. 



22 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



On coasting the shore of the north coast for the Bay of St 
Thomas, the Admiral was informed by an Indian of the fate 
that had befallen the settlers he had left at La Navidad, in 
that bay, by which every one had perished at the hands of 
the natives, in revenge for injuries inflicted on them by the 
Spaniards, and the settlement had been reduced to ashes. 




The Agouti. 

Columbus then resolved to establish his new city in a dif- 
ferent place ; and after having sent some parties into the region 
about Monte Cristo to explore the country, he continued 
along the coast, until, deeming it a favourable place, he 
established, on the banks of a small stream, his new settle- 
ment, which, in honour of the Queen, he called Isabella. 



i 



EXPLORATIONS. 



23 



This settlement, with the intention of making it per- 
manent, he laid out in the form of a regular town, with 
streets at right angles, and constructed there also a sub- 
stantial church of stone, as also some of the officers' houses 
of the same material ; the whole being surrounded by a 
wall and ditch, as a protection against the Indians. 




The Coati. 



Having thus made a starting-point in the island, he 
began to send out expeditions to the interior, and so favour- 
able were the reports made by these parties on their return, 
that he determined himself to penetrate into the interior, to 
the region described to him at St Thomas, which he called 
Cipangi, celebrated for its gold ; this is the region known 
then, as now, as the Cibao. 



24 SANTO DOMINGO. 

Elated with these descriptions, and anticipating much 
for the future, the Admiral determined to send advices to 
Spain, and on the 2d of February 1494, he despatched the 
fleet, loaded with gold specimens and other products, send- 
ing Ly it also glowing accounts to the King and Queen of 
the advantages that would accrue to Spain by the rapid 
colonisation of the island. 

Columbus seems to have been unfortunate in the selection 
of his first site for a settlement, as the spot chosen was a 
very unhealthy one ; and is to-day a noted place for fevers, 
it being in a low marshy situation, and in some degree 
sheltered from the healthful breezes of the north; from 
hence, however, he despatched Ojeda to explore the interior. 

Many of his people were taken sick, and he himself, worn 
out with work and care, fell a prey to the attacks of disease, 
but happily recovering, he made preparations for a journey 
to the interior, from which he was delayed by the discovery 
of an insurrection incited by Bernal Diaz and his friends, 
that had for its object the breaking up of the colony, and 
the returning to Spain of the colonists, on the plea that the 
promises of gold were a delusion, as this mineral was only to 
be found in the smallest. quantity, that which was in the pos- 
session of the natives being the accumulation of many years. 

Columbus having put an end to this mutiny, and punished 
some of the mutineers, sallied out the 14th day of March 
1494, at the head of 400 men, on his expedition to the inte- 
rior ; and following the route taken by Ojeda in his expedi- 
tion, he penetrated with much difficulty into the interior of 
the region known as the Cibao, where, on the banks of the 
river Janico, he established a fortress, which he called St 
Thomas, presumed to be in the now impenetrable region 
known as the Valla de Constanza. 

On the completion of this fort, he gave the command of 
it to Pedro de Margarita, and returned, March 29, 1494, 
to Isabella, which he had left under the governorship of his 
brother Don Diego. 



DISCONTENTMENT. 25 

Here lie found matters in a very unsettled state, for the 
inhabitants were discontented and sick, many of them 
utterly disappointed and desponding over the paradise that 
had been so glowingly described to them. This state of 
affairs, in addition to the unhealthiness of the locality, was 
caused from the fact that many of the settlers were utterly 
useless, inefficient men, who joining the expedition without 
the slightest knowledge of any vocation or trade, had ex- 
pected they were simply to pick up gold as they wanted, 
while leading a life of indulgence and idleness. 

Columbus receiving at this time news from the fort that 
he had established in the interior of a threatened attack of 
the now united Indians against it, he deemed this a good 
opportunity to rid the town of these fractious spirits, and 
under the plea of strengthening that garrison, he selected 
all such men, to the number of 400, and sent them under 
Ojeda to the interior. 

Columbus now occupied himself in regulating the affairs 
of Isabella, which being permanently established, became 
the first Christian settlement in the New World. He created 
a council, over which presided his brother Diego, composed 
of the priest Father Boil and four of the most prominent 
men, and fondly hoped from this small beginning the 
greatest results would flow. 

Columbus, in thus establishing the colony of Isabella, 
had set up the corner-stone of civilisation in the New 
World, upon which were to be erected structures that he in 
his wildest dreams had never pictured ; and as little dreamed 
he that, within 300 years of his great discovery, his own last 
resting-place, though within the very walls of a city he 
himself had originated, would be a matter of doubt, uncer- 
tainty, and neglect ; while the spot which he established in 
grateful remembrance of the Queen his benefactress, and to 
which he gave her name, should be a deserted heap of ruins, 
entirely obscured by the rank vegetation of the land he had 
described to her in such glowing terms. 



26 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



But the tide of emigration, once started for these new 
lands, ceased not to flow ; and each year, while he himself 
was prosecuting further voyages of discovery, saw accessions 
to the numbers of those who, spreading themselves through- 
out the island, managed to gain riches which, in most cases, 
were acquired not only at the expense of the liberty, but of 
the lives of the native inhabitants. 

During Columbus' absence on further voyages of dis- 
covery, the Indians had united their forces, and given the 
Spaniards of the interior much trouble ; so that, on the re- 
turn of the Admiral, on the 4th of September, sick, and worn 
out with fatigue, he was compelled to take very decided 




A- Spanish Attack. (De Bry.) 

action against them, the more especially as at Isabella the 
council and authorities had been occupying themselves in 
quarrels and dissensions rather than with the necessary 
cares of the colony. 

The native chiefs were now, with one exception, united 
in open arms against the Spaniards, besieging them in their 
fort of St Thomas ; and therefore, taking with him a strong 
force, Columbus started, March 27, 1495, from Isabella, 
on a tour of complete conquest, in which he not only rescued 
the beleaguered garrison, but forced the Indians to make 



GOLD-MINES. 27 



peace, while at the same time he established another fort in 
the interior, called Concepcion. These trips of the Spa- 
niards into the depths of a savage wilderness infested with 
large numbers of hostile Indians seem, as we read their 
accounts in early writers, or the glowing pages of Irving, 
like fabled romance ; and it is only when we discover that 
these parties of adventurers, small in number as they were, 
owed great part of their success to the fact that their armour 
protected them from the rude missiles of the disproportionate 
numbers of the Indians, while the effect of the fiery Spanish 
horses, animals entirely unknown to the natives, added to 
the use of their arquebusses, actually quelled the Indians 
into submission, as much by their effect morally as by their 
positive use. 

The success of the Spaniards was followed by the capture 
of two of the principal chiefs, and by the imposition upon 
the different tribes of a tribute, to be paid in gold and cot- 
ton ; and from this time forth may be dated the beginning 
of that servitude of the natives, which, in a very few years, 
was to sweep them almost entirely from the island, such 
was the severity of the yoke imposed upon them by the 
Spaniards. 

Before the contemplated return of Columbus to Spain, in- 
formation was brought him by one Miguel Diaz of the dis- 
covery of some gold-mines in the banks of the river Jaina, 
eight leagues from its mouth, towards the southern side of 
the island ; and such was the enthusiasm created by this 
news, that Columbus authorised his brother Bartholomew 
to investigate the fact, and finding the news founded in 
truth, directed him to establish a fort there, as also to enter 
into the working of the mines. 

Meanwhile, as he himself had determined to return to 
Spain, he appointed his brother Bartholomew to be chief- 
in-command during his absence, with the title of Adelan- 
tado or Governor, and designating also, in case of accident, 
his other brother, Diego, to succeed him. The Admiral 



28 SANTO DOMINGO. 

having sailed for Spain the 10th of March 1496, the Ade- 
lantado set himself to work to carry out the plans of Colum- 
bus in the working of the mines, and leaving his brother 
Diego in command at Isabella, he himself went to Jaina, 
where were established the works known as those of Buena- 
ventura, still in existence in a ruined condition, north of the 
town of San Christobal. Here he remained some three 
months, when he deemed it necessarj^ to visit the town of 
Concepcion, in the interior, to receive the tribute from the 
natives. 

The arrival of reinforcements and supplies at Isabella 
shortly after brought the news of the safe return of 
Columbus to Spain, and his honoured reception there, as 
well as an order from the Admiral for the Adelantado to 
establish a settlement on the Ozama river, at its mouth, 
where it emptied into the southern sea. The Adelantado 
complied with these instructions by going himself to estab- 
lish on the left bank of the river the town, which was at 
first called New Isabella, but afterwards received the name 
of Santo Domingo, the first stone being laid there on the 
4th August 1496; and with the foundation of this famous 
city began the career of glory and discovery in the New 
World destined to render immortal the names of so many 
Spaniards. 

The Adelantado seems to have been an earnest, energetic 
man, and every effo'rt was used by him to further the inte- 
rests of the colony ; and we find him at this time making 
continual journeys throughout the island, now establishing 
a new town, now developing a mine, and again making 
war upon the rebellious natives. 

Meanwhile, at the first settlement established, the town of 
Isabella, matters were going from bad to worse, for affairs 
there were in a most deplorable state, owing to the general 
sickness of the inhabitants, and the cessation of agricultural 
labours, caused by the flight of the Indians, who, driven to 
a labour to which they were entirely unaccustomed, under 



ROLDAN. 29 



the harshest kind of treatment, sought relief in the woods 
and mountain fastnesses. 

Following close upon this state of things came the mutiny 
of Roldan, who had been appointed alcalde-mayor, or chief- 
justice of the town, and who, in his ambitious projects, de- 
sired to have the chief command. Notwithstanding the 
active efforts of the two Columbuses, this mutiny gained 
strength and followers among the discontented colonists, 
and they had even the audacity to sack the public storehouses 
at Isabella ; a state of affairs that continued until Columbus 
himself returned from Spain, the 30th of August 1498. 

Columbus, mortified with the state of affairs in the 
colony, used every effort to bring about peace and tran- 
quillity among the colonists ; but the power of Koldan had 
increased to such an extent, that, humiliating as it was to 
the feelings of the great commander to make terms with 
the rebel, he, for the sake of the welfare of the colony, com- 
promised with Roldan and his followers, by which the 
former was reinstated in his office of alcalde-mayor, while 
those of his followers who wished to remain were each 
allotted a certain amount of land, and a certain number of 
Indians to work the same ; the others were permitted to 
return to Spain. By this act was established that system 
known as repartimientos, destined to be such a cause, in 
the future, of quarrels amongst the Spaniards and misery 
to the aborigines. 

Columbus, who had established himself at St Domingo, 
was not, however, destined to remain without further 
troubles ; for the Indians known as the Ciguayos endea- 
voured to release their captured chief Mayobanex by a 
rising against the Spaniards ; and this affair was hardly 
quelled when Ojeda attempted to enslave the Indians for 
the purpose of carrying a number of them to the newly- 
acquired lands of Terra Firma. In both these affairs, 
the former rebel, Holdan, acquitted himself with honour, 
honesty, and bravery in asserting the rights of Columbus. 



30 



SANTO DOMINGO, 



Matters being however tranquillised, affairs in the colony 
began to improve : the mines were in profitable working 
order, and great advances were made in agriculture, while 
many towns in the island were permanently established ; 

and we find in 1499 




among these the 
names mentioned of 
Santo Domingo, Isa- 
bella, Concepcionde 
la Vega, Santiago, 
Puerto Plata, and 
Bonao as flourish- 
ing places, while 
others that had been 
temporarily estab- 
lished were dying 
out. 

The year 1500 will 
always be memor- 
able in the annals 
of the island as that 
in which the in- 
famous Bobadilla, 
came out from 
Spain, arriving at 
St Domingo city at 
a time when Colum- 
bus was in the in- 
terior of the island. 
Although this officer 
was sent out from Spain clothed with certain powers and 
authority to investigate matters on the island, he so far ex- 
ceeded these as to seize upon the persons of Columbus and 
his brother Bartholomew, and throw them into prison, treat- 
ing them with every indignity, even to sending them to 
Spain in cliains. The cell in which they were confined is 




The Citadel. 



J 



ST DOMINGO REBUILT. 31 

still shown in the old citadel of St Domingo city, and is a 
moderate-sized square room, with a grated window in the 
immensely thick wall,--i-a limited space for a man who had 
given such immense territories to the world. 

Happily for the island, the governorship of this man 
lasted for a short time only, as no sooner did the news reach 
Spain of his treatment of Columbus, than Nicholas de 
Ovando was appointed Governor of the island, as also of all 
the Indies. Going out in great state, with a large number 
of followers, Ovando took with him a plentiful supply of 
arms and artillery ; and on the 15th April 1502, he reached 
the island and relieved Bobadilla of his command. 

The superstitious might think, in the events that imme- 
diately follow, there was a miraculous intervention of Pro- 
vidence in favour of Columbus, who having been restored to 
favour, was again in these waters with his fleet on another 
voyage of discovery, and being desirous of changing one 
of his vessels, had sought refuge at St Domingo. Ovando, 
however, declined to allow him to enter the port, and Co- 
lumbus foreseeing and prophesying a storm, took shelter in 
the Bay of Ocoa. Meanwhile, some of the property of 
Columbus had been placed upon the vessels of the fleet in 
which Bobadilla was intending to return to Spain, and in 
the same fleet was Eoldan, and the chief Guarionex. 
Though Columbus gave warning of the threatened storm, 
no attention was paid to it, and the fleet had hardly set 
sail when the storm broke upon it, and the whole of the 
vessels, with the exception of two, were lost with all their 
crews. In these two vessels was the property of Columbus. 
In the same storm the town of St Domingo was utterly 
annihilated. 

Ovando the Governor, who seems to have been a man of 
great energy, resolved, however, to rebuild the city, but 
upon the other side of the Ozama, on the site of the present 
city ; and with its re-erection begins a career of unexampled 



32 SANTO DOMINGO. 

prosperity for the island, a career which unfortunately lasted 
but for a liruited period of years. 

The building of the new city did not, however, prevent 
Ovando from prosecuting the war for the entire conquest of 
the island from the aborigines, for he carried on his opera- 
tions against them with such zeal, that it was not long before 
the two remaining principalities of Jaragua and Higuey 
were subdued, but not until deeds of treachery, cruelty, and 
bloodshed were perpetrated that will for ever cast a blot 
upon the name of Ovando. 

The reader of Irving will readily recall some of the 
romantic passages in these bloody annals, in which the sad 
story of the Princess Anacoana and the Cacique Cotubanama 
are related at length. Suffice it to say here, that with their 
capture may be said to have ended the period of the con- 
quest of the island. 



CHAPTER III. 

' The Spaniard came ... 

With toil and woes he crushed his wretched slaves, 
TUl miardered nations sunk into their graves ; 
Then, to replace his victims, fiercely tore 
The helpless negro from his native shore. " 



The Early Spaniards — Their Treatment of the Natives — Ovan- 
do's Rule — Habits of the Spaniards — Negro Slaves — Rapid 
Decrease of the Aborigines — Sugar-making — Diego Columbus 
and his Successors — The War of Enrique, and Final Peace. 

TlfHILE Columbus, on his fourth voyage, after having 
*' warred with some furious hurricanes and violent 
tempests, was obliged to take shelter in Jamaica, the 
Island of St Domingo was the theatre of several remark- 
able events. 

This colony, the model and the source of all the later 
establishments that Spain has founded in the New World, 
acquired by degrees the form of a society regular and 
flourishing. 

The tender care, full of humanity, that the Queen Isa- 
bella had evinced for the protection of the Indians, and 
the special laws passed, by which was enacted their free- 
dom from oppression and enforced labour, delayed for some 
time the industrial interests of the island ; because the 
natives, seeing happiness only in the indulgence of their 
indolent habits, could not be tempted to physical labour 
by the doubtful promises and recompenses of the Spaniards, 
their conquerors ; the result of which was, that the latter 



34 SANTO DOMINGO. 

lacked the necessary labourers for the working of the mines 
and the cultivation of the soil. 

Accustomed to the service of the Indians, several of the 
first colonists abandoned the island when they saw them- 
selves deprived of the instruments without which they 
could do nothing ; added to this, some maladies peculiar 
to it, or, perhaps, created by the imprudence of new- 
comers, developed themselves ; and a great number of 
those who had arrived with Ovando succumbed to the at- 
tacks of disease, and in a short time more than a thousand 
perished, because, without food and preparation, they had 
proceeded to the mines, where they died of sickness and 
starvation. 

The demand of half the product of the mines required 
on the part of the sovereigns, seemed such an onerous con- 
dition, that no person was willing to engage in their work- 
ing at this price, and the ruin of the colony from these 
causes appeared inevitable. In truth, it would not have 
been able to have sustained itself from the fate that threat- 
ened it, had not Ovando taken upon himself the responsi- 
bility of modifying the royal ordinances. It was the new 
distribution of Indians he made on this occasion that had 
brought about the uprising of the natives against this 
enforced labour; and even he, fearing that he would be 
accused of having forced the Indians again into servitude, 
ordered that their .masters should pay them a regular sum 
as legitimate recompense for their labour ; he also reduced 
the portion of gold intended for the King from one half 
to a third, and then to a fifth, a tax at which it remained 
fixed a long time. 

It is curious, in this connection, to read the accounts 
of the habits of these early adventurers. Many of them 
were the very dregs of the population of Spain ; in fact, in 
order to get recruits at one time, Columbus had induced 
the authorities of Spain to pardon all such malefactors 
as would agree to emigrate to the new colony. Again, 



EARLY SPANIARDS. 



35 



tliough many of the emigrants were of the labouring 
class, accustomed to 
work for their living in 
Spain, yet so strong a 
hold had the thought of 
finding gold taken upon 
them, that they had no 
idea of labouring them- 
selves in the New 
World ; bat constitut- 
ing themselves masters, 
they sought to force the 
natives to labour for 

them, while they exer- a Spanish Master. (DeBry.) 

cised an easy superin- 
tendence, swinging in a hammock. Others again, sarcas- 
tically observes an old writer, who in Spain had never known 





Spaniard in litter. 



even the luxury of riding a mule, were not content, when 
they had gained some riches in the New World, unless 
they were conveyed in a luxurious litter, between the poles 
of which were the native Indians. 

The Indians, who had been enjoying the privileges of 
freedom from labour and oppression, already felt in their 
first servitude, found this new yoke press so heavily upon 



36 SANTO DOMINGO. 

them, that they made several new attempts to recover their 
liberty. 

The Spaniards always treated these efforts as rebellion, 
and took arms against the natives with this idea. It is 
easy to imagine the result, in a contest between savages, 
entirely naked, on one side, and, on the other, one of the 
most warlike nations of Europe, where science, courage, 
and discipline were pitted against timidity and ignorance. 
The natives were, from the commencement, treated not as 
people struggling for their rights and freedom, but as 
slaves revolted against their masters. 

No distinction was made by the Spaniards in their treat- 
ment of these poor people ; the Cacique was as brutally 
punished as his most humble follower, and this in spite of 
the treaty that had been made between the Spaniards and 
natives ; and the unjust war made against the people of the 
province of Higuey had ended in the unwarranted hanging 
of the chief for having defended his people with a bravery 
superior to that of his fellow-patriots. 

It was in such a state of affairs that Columbus, return- 
ing from his fourth voyage of discovery, in which he had 
been wrecked on the Isle of Jamaica, had stopped at St 
Domingo city, where he was well received by the Grovernor, 
Ovando ; but who offended Columbus' sense of dignity by 
releasing from arrest one of his men, Porras, whom the 
Admiral himself hud ordered to be confined on board one 
of his ships, in order that he might be sent to Spain 
to be tried for mutiny while at Jamaica. 

This shameful humiliation was too much for the feelings 
of Columbus, and caused him such mortification, that he 
set sail from the island for Spain, never again to return to 
the New World alive. This event, in 1504, was soon fol- 
lowed by the death of his benefactress, the Queen Isabella, 
who died the same year, an event that was fraught with 
such portentous consequences for the Indians. 

In memory of her who had been known as the protec- 



I 



OVA JUDO'S RULE. 37 

tress of the Indians, lier husband, King Ferdinand, pro- 
posed to liberate them all from a state of servitude and 
threatened destruction, and for this purpose he sent to 
Ovando new orders, tending to better the condition of the 
Indians. 

As the new plan would destroy entirely the system of 
the repartimientos upon which the colonists now founded 
their hopes of future riches, it became the object of the 
most terrible opposition, and the Indians remained subject 
to their yoke in spite of the royal order, for they were 
utterly powerless to help themselves. Intimidated and 
humiliated by the atrocious treatment that they had re- 
ceived, the inhabitants of the whole island submitted 
without further resistance ; and the bloody Ovando, ignor- 
ing the royal mandate, and henceforth held by no check, 
divided the Indians among his friends and creatures. 

It is, however, due to him to say, that he governed the 
Spaniards with a wisdom and justice very dissimilar to the 
barbarity that he exercised over the vanquished natives. 

He established equitable laws, and executed them with 
impartiality, and accustomed the colonists to respect them ; 
he founded several towns in different parts, and drew to 
them inhabitants by conceding various privileges. He 
sought also to bring the attention of the Spaniards to 
some branch of industry more useful than the mere work- 
ing of mines, in many cases unprofitable ; and the sugar- 1 
cane having been brought to the island in 1506 from the \ 
Canaries, the richness of the soil and the fertility of the 
climate appeared so favourable to this culture, that it was 
soon made an object of speculation. 

Though the apparatus for its manufacture was of the 
rudest kind, large plantations were formed, mills estab- 
lished, and in a few years the manufacture of sugar was 
the principal occupation of the colonists, and the most 
abundant source of their riches. 

Though the wise measures that Ovando took were prin- 



38 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



cipally seconded by the attention that King Ferdinand, 
gave to the laws and the police of the island, it was menaced 
by a quick destruction. 




Sugar-making. (De Bry.) 

The natives, upon whose labours the Spaniards had 
counted for the success of their enterprises, and even for 
the supplies for their own existence, died so rapidly, that 
the extinction of the entire race became probable. 

When Columbus discovered St Domingo, it certainly 
had, at the lowest estimate, a million of inhabitants ; 
fifteen years were now elapsed, and they were reduced 
to 60,000, a result caused by the combination of certain 
circumstances. 

The natives, possessing a constitution more feeble than 
that of the Europeans, could not stand the same amount 
of labour or fatigue ; and the indolence and inaction in 
which they had previously passed their lives, as well as 
the inroads made upon their constitutions by their habits 



NATIVE DEPOPULATION-. 



39 



of excess, rendered them incapable of any sustained effortj 
especially when suddenly begun and long continued, as 
was the case when they were driven to their hard daily 
labour; and though their habits were thus materially 
changed, it does not seem that their food was improved 
to a more substantial fare. 

The Spaniards, never relenting in their vocation of 
taskmasters, pushed these poor people to the utmost ex- 
tremity, until, worn out, without strength or hopes, they 
put an end in various ways to their unfortunate lives. 

Benzoni has made this a subject of one of his illustra- 
tions, so well known was this fact among the early 
chroniclers ; and following him, De Bry has represented 
a perfect saturnalia of suicide, in which every means is 
resorted to by the natives to end their own lives and 
that of their families. 




Suicides. (Benzoni.) 



When we read how these poor people were yoked to- 
gether like cattle, how men and women were separated. 



40 



SA^^TO DOMINGO. 



how the men were driven into the mines, while the women 
slaved in the fields under the bm^ning snn, we can readily 
put faith in the accounts of the self-destruction of these 
people, who saw only in this an easy way out of their 
misery. 




Gula-miniiig (Be Biy ) 

The Spaniards, s'eeing themselves thus deprived by de- 
grees of the arms upon which they were habituated to rely 
for the culture of their lands, were not able any longer 
to increase their extent, and, in fact, from this time were 
not able to continue the work already begun. 

Alarmed at this state of things, and wishing to remedy 
promptly this evil, Ovando j)roposed to his court to trans- 
port to Hispaniola the inhabitants of the Lucayos or 
Bahamas, a series of numerous small islands lying at the 
entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, under the pretext that it 
would be easy to civilise them and instruct them in the 



it 



OVANDO'S RECALL. 41 

Christian religion, when they should be united to the 
Spanish colony, where they could be supervised by the 
missionaries. 

Ferdinand, deceived by the specious promises of Ovando, 
and perhaps willing to resort to any means to keep up a 
colony, then the "" Pride of Spain," consented. 

Several vessels were sent to these islands, and with 
them some persons who spoke the language of the islanders ; 
and these, giving the simple people the most glowing ac- 
counts of the Spanish island, and the deliciousness of the 
life there awaiting them, induced large numbers to accom- 
pany them ; — the population, it is stated, of Hispaniola 
being increased to the extent of 40,000 by these deluded 
people. 

Notwithstanding this effort to improve matters, these 
various causes served to discourage the Spaniards ; and 
their favourite mode of enriching themselves — the digging 
of gold — being unprofitable, the more adventurous spirits 
cast about for new regions to explore, — their efforts result- 
ing in a series of most wonderful and brilliant discoveries 
and explorations, never before or since equalled. The record 
of these is filled with the names of such bold and brilliant 
men as Cortes, Balboa, Pizarro, De Soto, and many others. 

De Ovando had now been in office from 1501, and 
although he had undoubtedly benefited the island by his 
government, many complaints had been made against him, 
to all of which Ferdinand had turned a deaf ear for a long 
time ; when, with a fickleness said to be a characteristic of 
this monarch, and sheltering himself under the plea that 
the Queen Isabella had sworn to chastise Ovando for hav- 
ing put to death Anacaona, the fulfilment of which vow 
she had confided to Ferdinand at her death, he in 1508 
relieved Ovando from his command, and ordered him back 
to Spain. 

Don Diego Columbus succeeded him, but did not enjoy 
the full rights of his father, the Admiral, who had died in 



42 ' SAXTO DOMIXGO. 

Spain in 1506 ; and it was strongly suspected that the son, 
was more indebted to the Duke of Alva, whose daughter 
he had married, and whose influence at com-t was great, 
for this recognition of his rights, than to the justness of 
his claims as being the heir of his father. He was at 
first only named Grovernor of the island, not Viceroy of the 
Indies, according to the patent given to the Admiral. 

The new Grovernor came to the island accompanied by 
his uncle, his brother, and his wife, upon the latter of 
whom in mere courtesy had been bestowed the title of 
vice-queen. TTith them came a numerous cortege of dis- 
tinguished persons of both sexes ; and the splendour and 
elegance displayed dming Don Diego's residence at the 
capital astonished the people of the IN'ew World, while 
the presence of so much rank and beauty, it is said, had 
the effect of softening the manners of the colonists, and 
gave a higher tone to the state of society at the city of St 
Domingo, which had then reached its highest state of 
prosperity. 

The unfortunate natives, however, did not profit by 
these splendours ; for, strong in his position, Diego awarded 
lO his friends and followers the Indians, not only in the 
manner hitherto known as repartimientos^ but by speci- 
fying the exact number to be allowed each person according 
to his rank. 

Although the Spaniards were busy in extending their 
dominions, Hispaniola seems to have been looked upon 
as their principal colony : and though Diego Columbus 
appears to have had the ability to govern it with wisdom, 
he was not permitted by the changeful Ferdinand to exer- 
cise his authority without much interference and many 
annoyances, the King even curtailing some of his privileges. 

Among these was that of assigning the Indians, which 
privilege he accorded to a courtier named Albuquerque, who 
was authorised to apportion out the natives independently 
of the Governor ; — the result of which was, that, in anxious 



m 



REPARTIMIENTOS. 43 

haste to profit from the perquisites of the office he held, 
Albuquerque entered with eagerness into their apportion 
ment ; and the first step he took was to obtain the exact 
number of the natives, from which we learn that these 
unfortunates had died out so rapidly, that, from having 
numbered in 1508, 60,000 souls, in 1514 the total number 
was reduced to 14,000. 

To the credit of the priesthood be it said, they had almost 
unanimously declared against the system of the reparti- 
mientos, and especially had the Order of the Dominicans 
raised their voices against it, availing themselves of every 
occasion to speak out against the iniquitous practice, not 
fearing in the presence of the Viceroy and his suite, when 
present in the grand cathedral of St Domingo city, to appeal 
to them in eloquent language to remedy this state of things ; 
and carrying out these principles, they refused even to 
absolve those who shared in this division of the natives. 

This proceeding gave great offence, of course, to the 
authorities ; and the Franciscans, who were not so deter- 
mined in their opposition, uniting with the Government, 
two parties were in existence, each of whom made com- 
plaints to the King. 

We can read with astonishment and indignation now 
the famous edict of Ferdinand, in which he declares it is a 
divine and humane duty to hold the Indians in servitude, 
as thus they can become Christianised ; but at the time 
this decree gave great satisfaction, as many even of the 
higher prelates themselves held numbers of the natives in 
servitude. 

In spite of this, the celebrated Father Las Casas used 
every effort to bring about the relief of these people ; and 
going over to Spain, he reproached King Ferdinand in 
person, with such effect, that the King, being then near 
to death, listened to his appeals, and promised to remedy 
the state of the Indians, but he died before he could fulfil 
his promises. 



44 SANTO DOMINGO. 

It has been said, at various times, that Las Casas was 
the author of the introduction of African slaves into the 
island, but this is not corroborated by facts ; for as early 
as 1511, we find that negroes had been brought there, 
and previous to this Ferdinand had issued orders for their 
introduction. 

However, Zimenes, Cardinal and Regent of Castile, in 
the minority of the new Emperor Charles the Fifth, listened 
to Las Casas ; and in order to make a beginning in the 
new programme he had arranged, he sent out to St Do- 
mingo three superintendents of all the colonies, utterly 
ignoring the rights of the then Grovernor, Don Diego. 
These superintendents he selected from the order of Hier- 
onymite monks, hoping thus to get impartial and upright 
men. Through them he changed entirely the system of the 
colonies, as, on their arrival, they declared free all the 
Indians, a proceeding that occasioned general alarm, fol- 
lowed by appeals to the new authorities, who, on the re- 
presentation that the new conquests of Spain in America 
would have to be abandoned if these Indian labourers 
were taken away, found it necessary to tolerate the system 
of repartimientos, but endeavoured to arrange for a more 
genial execution of its workings. 

From the troubles ocasioned by these proceedings origi- 
nated the introduction permanently of the African; for 
even Las Casas us'ed his influence to have them brought 
into the island in larger numbers, in order to lighten the 
labours of the Indians. 

This body of priestly governors, although endeavouring 
to act with justice and impartiality, did not give entire 
satisfaction to the colonists ; and Cardinal Cisneros de 
Zimenes dying in 1518, the Emperor Charles the Fifth 
ascended the throne, and immediately recalled these 
reverend friars, naming a licentiate, Rodrigo de Figueroa, 
as Governor, who, manifesting great avarice and rapacity, 



m 



AFRICAN SLAVES. 



45 



was carried to Spain in 1521 a prisoner, and Don Diego 
Columbus was again made Governor. 

Eeference has already been made to African slaves, and 
it appears that the Indians died out so fast, that it became 
absolutely necessary to have some reliable mode of getting 
labourers to work not only the mines, but the land, now 
become valuable by the culture of the sugar-cane ; and 
thus, in 1510, a regular form had been given to this traffic 
in human flesh, by the charging of the Casa de Contracion 
with its carrying on ; and in addition to this, when Charles 
the Fifth became Emperor, he, by a patent bestowed upon 
a Flemish favourite, gave an exclusive right of importing 
slaves to the number of four thousand annually. This 
patent was sold by the Fleming to some Genoese for 
twenty-five thousand ducats, and they were thus the first 
merchants who brought into regular form the commerce 
for slaves between Africa and America. 

So rapidly had these 
slaves increased in num- 
ber on the island of St 
Domingo, that we find, 
ill the records of the 
second term of the gov- 
ernorship of Diego Co- 
lumbus, that in 1522 
theyhad strength enough 
to mutiny on the plan- 
tation of the Governor 
himself, moved thereto 
by the cruelty with which 
they were treated. 

Some idea may be gained of the cruelties experienced by 
these poor creatures in the descriptions of many of the 
old authorities, and of which De Bry has made an illus- 
tration. One of these accounts is curious, as showing that 
the modern theory of " earth cure " in wounds is not new, 




Punishment of Negroes. (De Bry.) 



46 SANTO DOMINGO. 

since it is stated that the slaves were so badly whipped 
that their backs became raw, and upon their raw wounds 
brine was poured ; a hole was then dug in the ground, the 
suffering negro placed therein, and the earth piled up 
around him, in order, says the chronicler, that his wounds 
might be healed by the salve in mother earth, and he ren- 
dered fit to do more labour. 

The insurrection, the first of which there is any record, 
was, however, soon put down by the troops ; and hardly was 
this accomplished, when another, much more important, 
broke out among the few remaining Indians in the island. 

This had been incited by a chief named Enrique, a savage 
who had been converted to Christianity, and who, notwith- 
standing the nobility of his birth, had been reduced to 
slavery in one of the repartimientos. 

Desiring to avenge an insult that had been offered to his 
wife by a Spaniard, Enrique called upon his compatriots, 
and uniting themselves in strong force, they took refuge 
in the mountains of Bajorucho, where they maintained 
themselves unconquered. 

Meanwhile many complaints had been made against the 
Grovernor, Diego Columbus; among these was one that, 
because he was building a substantial palatial house on the 
bank of the river, he designed it to be^^ fortress, and, 
when finished, he intended to declare himself sovereign of 
the island, and independent of the authority of Spain. 

This house still stands, and though in a sad state of 
decay, gives a good impression of the solidity and grandeur 
of such buildings in the St Domingo of those days. The 
accompanying illustration of it is after Guillermin, who saw 
it about 1801, when it was in a more perfect state than 
at present. On account of the above complaints, Diego 
Columbus returned to Spain, and though he completely 
disproved the charges brought against him, he was not re- 
instated in his command, but died in 1526 while petitioning 
for his rights. His ofiice meanwhile had been given to the j 



i 



FIGUEROA. 



47 



Father Luis de Figueroa, who devoted himself especially 
to the pacification of the Indians, who, under the chief 




House of Don Diego Columbus. 

Enrique, had now become formidable from their military 
organisation. The Emperor, hoping probably to replace 
their labour, now lost, authorised the Flemings in 1526 to 
introduce African slaves more freely into the island. 

By the death of Figueroa the island came under the 
rule of one of its best Governors, Don Sebastian Ramirez 
Fuenleal, who immediately took wise and sensible measures 
for securing the settlement of the affairs of the island, and 
improving the condition of the loyal Indians. 
6 



48 SANTO DOMINGO. 

Although many overtures were made to the insurrec- 
tionary chief, yet such was his want of confidence in the 
Spaniards, that it was not until Father Las Casas suc- 
ceeded in inducing Enrique to send an envoy to St Do- 
mingo city, that a treaty of peace was signed, in 1533, by 
which the Indians, 600 in number, under their chief, were 
permanently established in a village (Boya) by themselves, 
and land allowed them to cultivate for their own use. 
With this treaty ended actually the troubles with the abo- 
rigines, which in Dominican annals are known as belong- 
ing to the time of the conquest. Of this race, not one 
single pure-blooded descendant exists to-day. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

• Let nobler bards, in loftier numbers, tell 
How Cortez conquered, Montezuma fell ; 
How grim Pizarro's ruffian arm o'erthrew 
The sun's resplendent empire in Peru." 



The Decline of St Domingo — Failure of the Mines — Expeditions 
fitted out — Depredations on Spanish Vessels — Depopulatio7t of 
the Island — Neglect of Spain — Its Colonial Policy — Drakis 
Attack — The Capture and Ransom of the Capital. 

npHEKE now ensues a long period in the history of St 
^ Domingo, in wMch the island, having gained a posi- 
tion brilliant and striking from its sudden rise and pro- 
sperity, as quickly sinks into obscurity, desolation, and 
misery, the result of manifold causes. 

St Domingo city, the capital, had become firmly estab- 
lished ; it had been beautified and improved ; in fact, had 
become noted for the splendour of its houses and the regu- 
larity of its streets, while its port was the most busy one 
in the New World. 

In addition to this principal city, there had been estab- 
lished in different parts of the island other towns and vil- 
lages, the most important of which were Azua, Aquin 
(Yaquimo), Salvatierra de la Savana, Yaguana (Leogane), 
Puerto Plata, Puerto Keal, Monte Cristo, Santiago de los 
Caballeros, Bonao, Cotuy, Buenaventura, Concepcion de la 
Vega, BaSica, Hincha, Higuei, and Seybo, to all of which, 
so important were they considered, had been allowed the 
use of respective coats of arms. 



50 



SAFTO DOMINGO. 




J^V 



Hatero. 



The number of regularly organised sugar plantations 
had amounted to nearly fifty, and the products of these, it 

is related, more than ex- 
ceeded the products of the 
gold mines in their best 
days; in fact, so luxu- 
riant and profitable was 
the cane-crop, that it was 
a common remark of the 
time that some of the 
handsomest palaces in 
Spain were built of St 
Domingo sugar. 

The increase of the live- 
stock originally brought 
out from Spain had been so 
wonderful, that the island 
was literally overrun with the wild cattle, which were left 
undisturbed, except by occasional visits of the hateros or 
herdsmen, men who, even at the present day, devote them- 
selves exclusively to the raising of cattle upon the immense 
plains called ^'llanos" or savanas. 

There was then no reason why affairs should not have 
vastly improved, and the:,island itself reached a high state 
of prosperity, had it not been from a combination of re- 
tarding causes. 

In the period after the conquest known in its annals 
as the time of '^ Old Spain," the island may be said to have 
reached the very zenith of its prosperity, followed gradually 
by a series of events which left it almost depopulated, pros- 
trated, and even unrecognised by its parent country ; a 
period in which we see, in strong contrast to the Spaniards, 
the French, who had gained possessions in the AYest Indies, 
show by their energy and talent, as well as by an encourag- 
ing policy of the home Government, what could be made of 
,those beautiful isles generally called the Antilles. 



SPANISH POLICY. 51 

In order fully to understand tlie condition of St Domingo 
while exclusively under Spanish rule, it may be as well that 
we take a glance at the policy of Spain in relation to her 
colonies ; for what applied to one as a general rule applied 
to all. And as she was the first to enter the arena of 
the New World, so was the system she adopted considered 
the best by the other powers which followed her, and, 
with some modifications, pretty generally adopted by 
them. 

The Spanish Indies, the name given by Spain to its 
colonies in America, having been by law declared an 
inalienable part of the Spanish monarchy, the King became 
the sovereign of those newly discovered countries, and 
exercised all the authority belonging to that title, enjoy- 
ing to every extent all the rights, powers, and patronage 
that title gave, and his will became thus the law of the 
colony, against the exercise of which there was no check 
or hindrance. 

In the exercise of this power, the first agent of 
the King was the " Eoyal and Supreme Council of the 
Indies," a name given to a tribunal created by King Fer- 
dinand in 1511 for the control of the American depart- 
ment. 

The powers of this tribunal were much enlarged by the 
Emperor Charles the Fifth, in 1524, and his successors: 
so that it became the depositary of all law, the fountain 
of all nominations, both ecclesiastical and temporal, and 
the supreme tribunal where all questions, whether of 
government or trade, in the colonies, were finally ad- 
judicated. 

This council, as ancient as the New World itself almost, 
had always the same limited views, and so far from being 
moved by great impulses and large ideas fitting to the 
immense powers bestowed upon it, was, on the contrary, 
a great drawback to the forward impulses of the youth- 
ful colonies, which, like young children, required the 



52 SAFTO DOMINGO. 

most careful nursing and attention from their mother 
country. 

In the earliest period, this council had been organised to 
benefit the colony of St Domingo, by devising means to 
advance its interests, to send out supplies of provisions, and 
to furnish seeds and implements for the agricultural de- 
velopment of the island. 

This council prepared all the laws for the Indies; it 
took cognisance exclusively of all matters by land and sea, 
and of every kind that in any wise related to the Indies, 
having full authority over viceroys, presidents, courts, com- 
merce, and even of the army and navy. 

It proposed to the King all persons for office, of what- 
ever grade ; it presented also the officials of the Church ; 
and, in fact, was endowed with such supreme powers, as, 
says Valverde, " not even the Eoman Senate had so ex- 
clusive a jurisdiction." 

In the early days of Spanish discovery and conquest, 
St Domingo was the headquarters of the ^'B-oyal Audencia," 
or court established for all the new provinces ; but as the 
latter grew in extent and number, they also began to have 
courts of their own. 

For hundreds of years the chief commands of the 
island were bestowed on military officers, the Governor 
being known as Captain- General, and who in subsequent 
years, became the President of the Koyal Audencia. 

The power of the Governor was almost supreme, and 
with him rested the appointment of the subaltern officers, 
such as the commandants. 

The royal court was surrounded by a great number 
of formalities, laws, and ceremonies ; and at one time, 
it would appear that St Domingo city was noted for the 
pomp and display made by the officials in the fulfilment 
of their duties, which duties were distinctly prescribed in 
a code made in Spain, known as " The Collection of the 
Laws of the Kingdoms of the Indies." 



i 



TAXATION. 53 



The establisliinent of the royal court was the cause, in 
later years, of much trouble, for to it were carried all 
appeals from the decision of the Governor of the island, 
and there were frequent conflicts of authority therefrom. 

An endless cause of bickering and complaint in the 
island was the constant interference in secular affairs of 
the priesthood, whose strength and numbers constantly 
increased ; and, under Cardinal Zimenes, we have seen the 
government intrusted to three of their number. 

As the King paid all the expenses of divine worship, 
the tithes belonged to him in consequence of a concession 
of the Pope. There was collected on all vegetable products 
of importance in commerce one measure in ten; on all 
annual products, even on milk, lard, wool, and on minor 
products, such as wax, honey, &c., the King took his 
share of one-tenth. A percentage there was also on sugar 
and molasses, even the native bread, cassava, paying 
duty. 

The conquerors of the New World, in their desire of 
making themselves masters of large domains, seized upon 
immense tracts of land, and held them under what was 
known as " encomiendas^^^ and by degrees they obtained 
the privilege of converting these into " mayorasgos^''^ a 
species of fief introduced into the Spanish system of feudal 
jurisprudence, which can neither be divested nor alienated, 
resulting, as we shall see, to-day, in the system known as 
" communeros.^'' 

» The Church followed the example set by these adven- 
turers, and became the possessors of large tracts ; and, 
as their revenue was only to be derived by the cultiva- 
tion of these lands, they were leased out in small lots to 
those unable to buy or to occupy pieces of their own; 
and in all the jurisdictions of the Church " first-fruits " 
were exacted and paid. 

The Church had yet another influence in the island, 
for the Inquisition has played here, as elsewhere, a memor- 



54 SANTO DOMINGO. 

able part in tlie history of St Domingo ; for, as early as 
1517 inquisitors were sent to ttie island, their advent 
being marked with great pomp and ceremony on the 
part of the officials and people; and when we read that 
the inquisitors were paid from the confiscations made by 
themselves, we can readily understand the motives that 
prompted their action in many cases. And it is on record 
that there was only one printing-office, little used, on the 
entire island; and no books of any kind were allowed 
to be brought in that had not received the sanction of 
the Inquisition, a proceeding that is seen in its results 
to-day, not a single book of any value being found for 
sale. 

The Inquisition, as is well known, was always opposed 
to the instruction and enlightenment of the people ; and 
in no place was this more forcibly manifested than in St 
Domingo ; and the antipathy of inquisitors against books 
was only equalled by that against Jews, the results of 
which are seen to-day in the islands still under the Spanish 
crown ; for, though the Jews inay be found in almost every 
habitable part of the globe, not one hardly is to be met 
with in Cuba, Porto Eico, or St Domingo. 

In fact, the entry of every class of foreigners into the 
island was discountenanced by the Government, which, 
with the jealousy ^peculiar to Spain, looked with sus- 
picion upon the attempts on the part of subjects of any 
other power to trade with its colonies. 

Many other of the Church rules and regulations weighed 
heavily upon the settlers ; and some writers are ill-natured 
enough to doubt the possibility of the Church, in these 
times, honestly getting rich, when its servants were so 
poor. The Jesuits, it is said, managed to carry large 
sums of gold out of the country in various ways without 
exciting suspicion, such as sending it as rolls of chocolate, 
and bones of saints. 

In addition to the sources of revenue above mentioned, 



CAS A DE CONTRAGION. 55 

there was a tax upon tlie salaries of the officials, consisting 
of a levy of half the product of the first year, which is 
suggestive of the honesty with which these offices must 
have been filled ; while many of the minor positions were 
publicly farmed out to the highest bidder. 

There were municipal governments for the different 
districts, towns, or villages, presided over by an alder- 
man or alcalde, and he named subordinate officers; and 
there were besides innumerable fiscal officers, which it 
would be tedious to mention. 

It is, however, from the monopoly created by the 
organisation of the Casa de Contracion that the colonial 
interests of Spain have, perhaps, received their greatest 
injury; for, by an ordinance dated at Alcala, January 
20, 1503, a board of trade, with the above name, was con- 
stituted, which, though supposed to be subordinate to the 
Council of the Indies, became in time almost independent 
of it. The laws and regulations made by this body, al- 
though nominally created to encourage and protect the 
commerce of Spain with her colonies, were ultimately the 
cause of its decay and ruin. 

It consisted of three officers, bearing the separate titles 
of treasurer, factor, and comptroller, their residence being 
appointed at Seville, where they were to hold daily meetings 
in the building known as the Aleazar, for the transaction 
of business. 

This board was instructed to make itself thoroughly 
familiar with everything pertaining to the colonies, and to 
furnish the Government with every kind of information 
concerning their prosperity and welfare. 

Laws were passed restricting the entire trade of the 
colonies with the mother country to the port of Seville; 
and to the Casa de Contracion was intrusted the super- 
vision of all fleets, their destination, the furnishing them 
with instructions ; and, in the warehouse of the board, 
at that place, was deposited all the merchandise for ship- 



56 SANTO DOMINGO. • " 

ment, as well as the return cargoes, for the sale of which 
the contracts were to be supervised by the board. 

Seville, therefore, remained the only port for a long 
time, nntil the Guadalquiver, which, in the time of the 
Emperor Charles the Fifth, was navigable up to the town, 
became, for large vessels, inaccessible, when the port was 
removed to Cadiz, from whence, at stated times, a fleet 
sailed for Mexico, and galleons for Porto Bello. This 
continued in practice until the war of 1732, when register 
ships were substituted for galleons, which no longer sailed 
at fixed times, though the " fleet " and these " register " 
ships continued to sail from Cadiz to Mexico. 

Porto Bello was the main rendezvous for this fleet from 
Spain, known in early times as the "galleons," which 
consisted usually of about eight men-of-war, of the size 
known as three or four deckers, each mounting fifty guns, 
and they were nominally assigned to supply the American 
ports with military stores ; but, in reality, were laden not 
only with these, but every kind of merchandise, and they 
also convoyed other ships on private account, to the num- 
ber of fourteen or fifteen. 

In time of peace, this fleet sailed regularly once a 
year from Cadiz, according as the King ordered it, or 
the convenience of the merchants permitted ; the fleet of 
galleons being regulated pretty much as was the " flota " 
or fleet, and designed for the exclusive trade with Terra 
Firma, as South America was then called, and the South 
Sea. 

The " flota," on the contrary, was destined for New 
Spain, as Mexico was then called, the port being Vera 
Cruz, as also the Philippiiie Islands. It consisted, of an 
annual fleet, that sailed from Cadiz, leaving there about 
the last of September, being composed of three men-of- 
war, and sixteen large merchantmen, of from 500 to 600 
tons burden. 

These were loaded with every sort of goods which 



1 



COMMERCIAL RESTRICTIONS. 57 

Europe could produce for export, and thus every part of 
Europe was interested in this fleet, as their manufactures 
were thus distributed in the New World. Spain itself 
sent out little more than wine and fruit ; this, with the 
freight and the commission to the merchants, and the 
duty to the King, was almost the only advantage that 
the mother country derived from the commerce with the 
Indies. 

This is easily accounted for, from the fact that Spain had, 
at this time, few or no manufactures, and as she had no 
goods of her own to send to the colonies, she passed such 
laws and restrictions as made the whole of Europe one 
vast storehouse for her, to which she acted as broker, 
charging commission nominally both ways, to the con- 
sumer and the manufacturer; but,, in truth, it was the 
overtaxed consumer, the colonist, who paid the commis- 
sion; and as the colonist began to realise this fact, so 
gradually did Spain find her colonies seeking to render 
themselves independent of her. 

In the early days of the New World colonies, all these 
fleets made the harbour of St Domingo city their haven, 
in passing to and from Spain, as at that time this was 
the only strongly and regularly fortified place belonging 
to that power in the New World. 

With the conquest of Cuba, Jamaica, Peru, and Mexico, 
this arrangement was changed, and the fleets, on their 
return, almost entirely stopped at the city of Havana, 
loaded with everything the colonies produced; and here 
congregated the galleons, the flota, and the register ships, 
preparatory to their return to Spain. 

The register ships originated from the illicit commerce 
that sprang up by Spain's prohibiting all intercourse with 
strangers ;. they were registered, with all the effects em- 
barked in them, in the books of the Chamber of Com- 
merce at Seville. 

It was this sort of commerce that induced the Enoflish 



58 SANTO DOMINGO. 

and the Dutch to step in without waiting for a license ; 
and, with the connivance of the Governors of the different 
colonies, they all made money. 

This practice became finally so flagrant and glaring, 
that the home authorities sent new Governors with precise 
orders ; and with these came the " guardia costas," or 
guardships, which, from being established at first for a 
just and legal purpose, finally made trouble by becoming 
privateers, and preying upon the commerce of all nations, 
ending in open war between the powers. 

With all these plans to control the trade of the colonies, 
it would be supposed that every effort would have been 
made to encourage emigration and increase the value of the 
colonial lands ; but so far from this being the case, cer- 
tainly, as regards St Domingo, a few years after its dis- 
covery and settlement, restrictions were made, and per- 
mission had first to be asked of the Board of Trade before 
emigrants could go out there. Almost every article going 
into or coming out of the island paid a duty, hindrance 
even being made to domestic trade ; for the principal one 
of cattle-selling, in the time of the French, had to pay its 
share of taxes and fees to ofiicials, who occupied their posi- 
tions, not to further the interests of the island, but to look 
out for their own profit. 

It is very certain that all these restrictions on emigra- 
tion and commerce had a great deal to do with the decline 
in the prosperity of St Domingo ; for all these laws being 
enacted at a time when new countries were being opened 
up, adventurers thought it more easy to seek rapid fortunes 
in the conquest of those places, than to await them by the 
slow and restricted processes of agriculture and trade in 
St Domingo. 

In the early period of its history, the population had 
been increased by the crowds of Spaniards who, in- 
satiable for gold, crowded here from the mother country 
when expeditions were fitted out for the conquest of 



11 



EMIGRATION PROHIBITED. 59 

Cuba, Porto Rico, Trinidad, and St Marguerite. Yet 
the very influence that brought such hosts of these ad- 
venturers to this island was the one that assisted more 
effectually than any other in depopulating it ; for the 
discovery of the gold mines of Mexico and Peru, the 
glowing accounts of which had come first to St Do- 
mingo, tempted the largest part of its inhabitants, par- 
ticularly the young and adventurous, to seek in those 
regions for adventures, glory, and riches, the fabulous 
accounts of which had fired the hearts of a people who 
seem to have had as second nature that love of adventure 
which has tended so much to gild with glory the crown of 
Spain. 

Most of the noted expeditions of the time being, fitted 
out from the port of St Domingo, it was not long before 
the island threatened to become entirely depopulated, such 
were the numbers who sought a part in these expeditions ; 
and so alarming did this emigration become, that the 
Emperor Charles the Fifth issued orders against the emi- 
grating of families as well as the recruiting of men on the 
island. Means were found by those who wished to evade 
these commands ; and it is stated that some of the richest 
families found it to their interest to seek, with their means 
and capital, larger fields of enterprise in the new countries 
now opened. 

Up to 1540, the period when this decline began in the 
affairs of St Domingo, it seems like romance to read the 
accounts of the comings and the goings of the immense 
fleets of vessels which were constantly arriving and de- 
parting to and from the mother country and the settle- 
ments in America, with their products. 

Some of the mines, when at first worked, had pro- 
duced so much silver, that a mint had been established 
at the capital, where money was struck ofi" the same as 
in Spain ; and in the products of the soil, then mostly 
new to the Old World, such as cotton, sugar, tobacco, 



60 



SAX TO DO MIX GO. 



ginger, (tc, additional sources of riclies were found: add 
to wliicli the large number of hides produced by the im- 
mense herds of cattle then scattered over the island, had 
j)roduced a commerce at that time which at no period since 
has reached the same extent. 

The trayeller to-dav, who traverses the streets of the 
23resent city of St Domingo, deserted and decayed as they 
are, as he looks at the immense structures, the solid walls » 
and the ruins of former oTcatness, finds himself wonderino- 
what has become of those incentives to enterprise which 
were the- origin of the foundation of such a city. From 
this jDcriod to the time when Drake landed, there seems 
to be little of general importance occm-ring in the island, 
other than a series of misfortunes: for the labour of the 




Au old street in St Domiugo city. 



mines was reduced to almost nothing, while the agri- 
culture was followed in detached portions only : for the 
colonists, seduced away by the reports of famous riches 
on the continent of America, still continued to emigrate. 



dl 



DRAKE'S EXPEDITIOX 



61 



In 1568 the limited amoimt of products raised consisted 
of cotton, sugar, and tobacco, the results of the labours 
of a few Indians still surviving, as also a few Africans, 
while the commerce was limited to a few sticks of Brazil 
wood ; when a trade sprang up with the Dutch, which in 
time would doubtless have helped the colony much, but 
just at this juncture the English appeared on the coast, to 
give a new turn to affairs for a time. 

Queen Elizabeth of England, being determined to de- 
stroy the preponderance of Spanish power in the West 
Indies, sent out, in 1586^ an expedition under Sir Francis 




Drake 



Drake, to do all the harm he could, as well to the com- 
merce, as to the possessions of Spain in that part of the 



world. 



Acting under these instructions, Drake landed on 



62 SANTO DOMINGO. 

the shores of St Domingo, and succeeded in getting 
possession of the town. The subjoined account, being 
that of an eye-witness, affords us some quaint infor- 
mation as to the condition of this famous city and the 
mode of warfare at that time. I give it in the original 
text. 

" By the way we met a small frigate bound for the 
same place ; in her was found one by whom we were adver- 
tised the haven to be a barred haven, and the shore or 
land thereof to be well fortified, having a castle thereupon, 
furnished with great store of artillery ; without the danger 
whereof was no convenient landing-place within ten Eng- 
lish miles of the city, to which the said pilot took upon 
himself to conduct us. . . . 

" Our general having seen us all landed in safety, re- 
turned to his fleet, bequeathing us to Grod and the good 
conduct of Mr Carliell, our Lieut. -General, at which time, 
l)eing about eight of the clock, we began to march, and about 
noon-time, or towards one of the clock, we approached 
the town, where the gentlemen and those of the better 
sort, being some hundred and fifty brave heroes, or rather 
more, began to present themselves ; but our small shot 
played upon them, which were so sustained by good pro- 
portion of pikes in all parts ; as they, finding no part of 
our troop unprepared to receive them (for you must under- 
stand they viewed all round about), they were thus driven 
to give us leave to proceed towards the two gates of the 
town, which were the next to the seaward. 

" They had manned them both, and planted their ord- 
nance for that present and sudden alarm without the gate, 
and also some troops of small shot in ambuscade upon the 
by wayside. 

" We divided our force, being some thousand or twelve 
hundred men, into two parts to enterprise both the gates 
at one instant ; the Lieut. -General having openly avowed 
to Captain Powell (who led the troops that entered the 




iiilllil^i'fiiLi'v. /„ii'^';' ' ' r : !i ::! jiiiHlllili 



DRAKE'S EXPEDITION. 63 

other gate), that, with God's good favour, he would not 
rest uutil our meeting in the market-place. 

" Their ordnance had no sooner discharged upon our 
near approach, and made some execution amongst us, 
though not much, but the Lieut. -Greneral began forthwith 
to advance both his voice of encouragement and pace of 
marching ; the first man that was slain with the ordnance 
being very near unto himself, and thereupon hasted all that 
he might to keep them from recharging the ordnance. 

" And notwithstanding their ambuscadoes, we marched, 
or rather ran, so roundly into them, as pell-mell we entered 
the gates, and gave them more care, every man to save 
himself by flight, than reason to stand any longer to their 
broken fight. We forthwith repaired to the market-place, 
but, to be more truly understood, a place of very fair, 
spacious, square ground before the great church ; whither 
also came, as had been agreed. Captain Powell with the 
other troop; which place, with some part next unto it, we 
strengthened with barricades, and there, as the most con- 
venient place, assured ourselves ; the city being far too 
spacious for so small and weary a troop to undertake to 
guard. 

'' Somewhat after midnight, they who had the guard 
of the castle, hearing us busy about the gates of the said 
castle, abandoned the same ; some being taken prisoners, 
and some flying away by the help of boats to the other 
side of the haven, and so into the country. 

" The next day we quartered a little more at large, but 
not into the half part of the town; and so making sub- 
stantial trenches, and planting all the ordnance that each 
part was correspondent to the other, we held this town 
the space of one month. 

" In which time it chanced that the G-eneral sent on his 
messages to the Spaniards a negro boy with a flag of 
white, signifying truce, as is the Spaniard's ordinary man- 
ner to do there ; which boy unhappily was first met with 



64 SANTO DOMINGO. 

some who furiously struck the poor boy through the body 
with one of their horsemen's staves, with which wound 
the boy returned to the General, and after he had declared 
the manner of this wrongful cruelty, died forthwith in 
his presence ; wherewith the General, being greatly pas- 
sioned, commanded the provost-marshal to cause a couple 
of friars, then prisoners, to be carried to the same place 
where the boy was struck, accompanied with sufficient 
guard, and there presently to be hanged, despatching at 
the same time another poor prisoner, with the reason 
wherefore this execution was done, and with the message, 
that until the party who had thus murdered the General's 
messenger were delivered into our hands, there should no 
day pass wherein there should not two prisoners be hanged, 
until they were all consumed which were in our hands. . . . 

" Upon disagreements with their commissioners, we still 
spent the early mornings in firing the outmost houses ; 
but they, being built very magnificently of stone, with 
high lofts, gave us no small travail to ruin them. 

" And albeit for eleven days together we ordained each 
morning by daybreak, until the heat began at nine o'clock, 
that two hundred mariners did nought else but labour to fire 
and burn the said houses, without our trenches, while the 
soldiers stood their guard. Yet did we not, nor could not, 
in this time, consume so much as one-third part of the 
town. And so, in' the end, what wearied with firing, and 
what hastened by some other respects, we were contented 
to accept of five-and-twenty thousand ducats (about 30,000 
dollars) for the ransom of the rest of the town." 

Five years subsequent to this, the English again com- 
mitted depredations, doing injury to other towns upon the 
coast ; and the effect of these combined misfortunes was, 
that the entire population of the island was reduced to 
less than 14,000 inhabitants, not including some 1200 run- 
away negroes, who were encamped in the inaccessible parts 
of the island. 



DEC A Y. 65 



It was thus, from these attacks, that the island rapidly 
receded iri prosperity; for, in addition to the effects on 
land, the waters of the Spanish Main were filled with 
vessels bearing roving commissions to prey upon the 
commerce of nations not at peace with those represented 
by the banners flying at their masts. From this cause 
intercourse between Spain and her colonies became very 
difficult, and particularly so with St Domingo, to which 
this connection was more desirable and necessary than 
it was to the mother country, and the trade between the 
two became almost extinct; for it was only once in two or 
three years, at most, that a few ships were seen in the 
port of St Domingo city. Its only external relations were 
with Mexico; and had it not been for foreigners, the Dutch 
in particular, the colony would have sunk under the misery 
which it so long groaned under. 

Encouraged by these people, who were anxious to ex- 
change their products and manufactures for the hides, 
cattle, and produce of the island, the Dominicans entered 
largely into a contraband trade at the towns on the coast. 

The Court of Madrid, entirely unmoved at this con- 
dition of affairs, which had arisen in great degree 
from its own want of administration, and jealous of the 
interference of any other nation in its trade, shut up, 
in 1606, all these ports except St Domingo city, and 
ordered the inhabitants thereof to the interior, where, 
erecting cabins for themselves, they became only indifferent 
agriculturists, while their former habitations were de- 
molished. This was another signal for the emigration of 
numerous families from the island, and such a state of 
affairs resulted from this, that the authorities of the time 
state, that the fields were uncultivated, and the farms 
were depopulated ; the houses were going to ruin, with 
closed doors, their occupants having deserted them ; the 
duties and taxes that could be collected for the Grovern- 
ment amounted to absolutely nothing ; and to these num- 



66 SAXTO DOMINGO. 

berless evils, the island began to be raided on by tlie 
buccaneers. But tlie appearance of tliese people in the 
history of St Domingo is of such importance, that I shall 
devote a chapter to them especially. 

While events of this nature were taking j)lace in the 
western part, there was hardly anything worthy of men- 
tion occurring in the other portion of the Spanish part, 
which was already sunk into decay, when the declaration 
of war in 1654 against Spain by Oliver Cromwell gives a 
new interest to the history of St Domingo, in which the 
English largely figure ; and the reader of English history 
can refer to the details of the disastrous expedition in 1655, 
sent against St Domingo, for the history of the first attempt 
of England to make a permanent landing on Dominican 
soil. 

This expedition consisted of a squadron under com- 
mand of Admiral Penn, having on board 9000 men under 
the command of G-eneral Yenables, which, having arrived 
off the city of St Domingo, April 1655, was divided into 
two bodies, for the purpose of attacking two different 
points. 

Tlie Spaniards made a united and strong resistance, lead- 
ing the English into ambuscades, and with such success, 
that the troops were thrown into disorder, and compelled 
to retire ; and the expedition having signally failed in its 
object, left the coast of the island for Jamaica. 

Penn and Yenables, on their return to England, were 
imprisoned by Cromwell, and their conduct being investi- 
gated, they were liberated from prison, but disgraced for 
their want of skill and success.* 

* Walton gives an amusing account of the manner in which the defeat 
of the English was brought about. He says, " The landcrabs found here are of 
an immense size, burrow in the sand, and at night issue out in great num- 
bers. On the above occasion, the English landed an ambuscade to surprise 
the Spanish camp, which being unprepared, and consisting of irregulars, had 
it been pushed, must have certainly fallen. 

"The advanced line from the first boats had already formed, and was 



FEAST OF TEE CRABS. 67 

proceeding to take post behind a copse, when they heard the loud and quick 
clatter of horses' feet, and, as they supposed, of the Spanish lancemen, 
who are dexterous, and whose galling onset they had experienced the day 
before. Thus believing themselves discovered, and dreading an attack before 
their comrades had joined, they embarked precipitately, and abandoned their 
enterprise ; but the alarm proved to be these large landcrabs, which, at the 
sound of footsteps, receded to their holes, the noise being made by their 
clattering over the dry leaves, which the English soldiers mistook for the 
sound of cavalry, 

" In honour of this miracle a feast was instituted, and celebrated each year, 
under the name of Feast of the Crabs, on which occasion a solid gold landcrab 
was carried about in procession." 



CHAPTER Y. 

Dreadful as hurricanes athwart the main 
Eushed the fell legions of invading Spain ; 
"With fraud and force they swept the isles. 



The Buccaneers and Early French. — Origiii of the Buccaneers 
— Their Ma?iners and Customs — Settlement of Tortuga, and 
their Extension from thence under the Auspices of the French — 
Settlement of St Domingo. ■ 

TJ^ILLIBUSTEE is a word that has come to be looked 
J- upon as almost entirely of American origin, and yet 
it originated with Europeans, as did also the class of people 
to whom it properly belonged. 

As early as the year 1600 the Spaniards in the New 
World, particularly that part of it in the vicinity of the 
Gulf of Mexico, began to stop the ships of other nations 
found trading in these waters, on the plea that, by right 
of discovery, all those lands and waters, with their privi- 
leges of trade and commerce, belonged exclusively to them. 

The result of this was that, though Europe generally 
was at peace, the English and French, for mutual protec- 
tion to their commerce, began at first to tolerate the fitting 
out in their ports of privateers, for the purpose of making 
reprisals on the commerce of the Spaniards, as well as to 
resist the arbitrary acts of the legalised vessels, the 
^^ Guardia Costas." 

As it became necessary to have some depot for these 
vessels and their stores in the waters of the Antilles. 



EARLY INTRUDERS. 69 

bv a strange coincidence botli the English and French 
selected the same island upon which to establish them- 
selves ; but, as it appears, on different sides of the small 
island of St Christopher, one of the lesser Antilles. This 
was at first selected as the point most convenient from 
which to start out on their privateering enterprises. 

Here, in this island, the subjects of the two powers of 
France and England seem to have remained peacefully 
and quietly in joint occupation,- even uniting their forces 
against the native inhabitants. 

The French, it is said, busied themselves in making- 
large boats from a peculiar tree, in which' they wan- 
dered about among the neighbouring islands, going so 
far even as to land on the shores of St Domingo, particu- 
larly on the north coast, the wild cattle of which offered 
them tempting inducements. They had thus established 
themselves in small parties from Samana to Tortuga. 

Each nationality being anxious to retain possession of 
St Christopher for its own Government, representatives 
returned to France and England to inform their respective 
Governments of the advantages to be gained in securing 
and settling this island. 

Cardinal Eichelieu, in France, immediately took steps to 
secure these advantages to the French; and a company 
was formed for the working of this and other islands, 
in which he himself took stock. This company was known 
as the '' Compagnie des lies ; " and every one embarking 
under its auspices was required to remain in the islands 
and labour there three years for the benefit of the com- 
pany, in consideration of receiving his passage free. This 
class of persons was known as " engages," and became 
of great importance afterwards in the settlement of the 
New World. 

The English, having pursued the same policy, were 
rapidly growing to be the stronger party in the island, 
though as yet they both occupied it jointly and peace- 



70 SANTO DOMINGO. 

ably ; but tbe rapid growth of tlie settlement alarmed the 
Spanish Government for the safety of its own possessions 
in those regions, and in 1630 Frederic of Toledo, being on 
his way with a large fleet to chastise the Dutch in Brazil, 
•was directed by his sovereign to destroy the combined 
settlement of the French and English at St Christopher. 

This he did so effectually, that the inhabitants were 
-all either killed, taken prisoners, or dispersed ; and those 
who effected their escape were forced to take refuge in 
some of the neighbouring islands, a large number finding 
their way to the small island of Tortuga on the north-west 
coast of Hayti. 

Here they were joined by some Dutch refugees from 
Santa Cruz, fleeing also from the wrath of the Spaniards ; 
and being struck with the advantages of the Isle of 
Tortuga, and finding there only a handful of Spaniards, 
these " brethren of the sea," as they called themselves, 
made a permanent location. 

They were prompted, also, by a desire to find a more 
convenient place ■ than St Christopher from whence to 
attack the Spanish vessels en route to and from St Domingo 
and Cuba ; for the currents were so strong, and the winds 
so contrary, that it was a tedious matter for them to come 
up from St Christopher, having only their sails and oars 
upon which to rely. 

Thus, then, we have the representatives of three differ- 
ent nationalities in this little island of Tortuga, but which 
was to be the nucleus of a great settlement. They were 
all, however, united in one respect, their misfortunes having 
made them companions in adversity, and in looking upon 
the Spaniards as their common enemy, whose possessions 
in Hispanola they made their common hunting-grounds 
for the immense herds of wild cattle that at the time 
overran the entire western part. 

Thus establishing themselves upon Tortuga, they 
agreed that, while one portion should remain upon it 



THE BUCCANEERS. 



71 



and cultivate the soil, another portion should occupy 
themselves in hunting on the mainland, in order to keep 
the settlers supplied with meat, and a third portion 
devoted themselves, as they called it, to the commerce of 
the seas, that is, in seeking out vessels in the narrow 
channels, which they could attack in their long boats. In 
this manner these people became divided into three classes, 
those remaining on the island being known as the " habi- 
tans," or planters, and those following the sea, who, in 
fact, became pirates ; for this island was a sort of advanced 
post by which all vessels going to or from Peru, Cuba, 
and Mexico, generally passed, thus affording them ample 
opportunity to indulge their vocation. 

This pursuit was followed in a large long boat, most fre- 
quently propelled by oars worked by crews consisting of from 
fifteen to thirty men ; 
who, well armed, did 
not hesitate to attack 
most of the vessels that 
fell in their way. As 
these boats were made 
light, and were very 
fast, they received the 
various names of frei- 
bote^ fly 'bote ^ or flei- 
bote, and their crews 
came thus to acquire 
the names offreiboteros 
(freebooters), which, in 
our time, has become 
corrupted into JlUi- 
buster. 

The third portion 
were known as , bou- 
caniers (a name cor- 
rupted into buccaneers), being those engaged in the 




A Buccaneer. 



72 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



hunting of cattle, and getting their peculiar name from 
the rude manner of cooking their meat, a mode adapted 
from the Caribs in those islands, who in this manner 

disposed of the bodies of 
their victims. This mode 
was simply to make a 
frame of green boughs, 
known as a ^^ boucan," 
upon which the meat 
was laid, and under this 
a slow fire was kept, 
which partly smoked and 
partly cooked the meat; 
which, in that climate, 
they were thus enabled 
to keej) a short time for 
use. 

Of these "boucan- 
iers," there were two 
one 




A Boucan. 



classes : — one which 
hunted the cattle exclusively for their hides; and the 
other, those who hunted only the wild boars and pigs for 
their meat, which they salted down and sold. 

The former had with them a pack of hounds or dogs, 
usually from fifteen to twenty in number. They carried 
a long gun, that was made expressly for them in 
France, the barrel being from four to four and a half 
feet long, and of uniform calibre, sixteen balls to the 
pound. 

Their clothing consisted usually of a cotton shirt, and 
a pair of drawers or pants, made loose and baggy like a 
frock, while for shoes they used the skin of the pigs or 
cattle they killed. A close-fitting cap, with a small 
visor, completed this costume. On their expeditions 
they carried with them into the woods a small linen 
tent, which they used for purposes of shelter from the 



THE BUCCANEERS. 73 

sun, and the attacks of the flies, which abounded in the 
island. 

Being thus equipped, these boucaniers joined in pairs, 
calling each other matelot^ putting all that they owned into 
the common stock ; and as they increased in wealth and 
means, they also had servants, who were usually of the class 
known as engages, of whom they had paid the passage 
from France, thus buying them body and soul for the term 
of three years. 

They left Tortuga, and crossing to the main island of 
St Domingo, were sometimes absent as long as a year in 
the woods, selecting certain localities which they made 
known to each other, and where they erected often small 
huts called ajoupas^ derived from the Indian word lodge. 

They spent their days, attended by their servants and 
dogs, in hunting the wild cattle, which they slaughtered 
for their hides only, leaving the meat to spoil. Having 
found as many hides as they could carry upon their backs, 
they returned to their place of departure, where they cured 
the hides in the most primitive manner, partaking also of 
a repast of meat cooked as described above. Their only 
amusement seemed to be firing at a mark, and most of 
them were skilful marksmen. 

Having gained hides and meat enough, they returned 
either to the seaside, where they had opportunities of 
disposing of their property, or they crossed to Tortuga, 
where they supplied themselves with the few articles they 
needed in their rude manner of life, and then delivered 
themselves *up to carousal and dissipation until their means 
were exhausted. 

Their principal vice was drunkenness, which they brought 
about by imbibing pure brandy, drinking it as freely as the 
Spaniards did water. Sometimes they bought together a 
pipe of wine, and staving in the head of it, they never 
ceased to drink until the wine was exhausted and their 
money spent. 



74 



SAXTO DOMIXGO. 



At first neither tlie planters nor the buccaneers had 
other servants than the engages, and the cruelties prac- 
tised upon these poor people of the white race '^uite equal 




jUerry-makiug. 



anything in the annals of African slavery. They were 
starved, beaten, maimed, and killed, at the pleasure of 
their brutal masters, without having any one to look to 
for redress. 

It does not appear that the original settlers of Tortuga 
engaged in piracy, but settled down to hunting and plant- 
ing ; and it was only after the Spaniards had made their 
first great attack upon them, murdering those that were 
on the island, and destroying their plantations, that, in 
revenge, after having united themselves into a society, 
they began to make - reprisals on the Spaniards and their 
commerce, which finally extended itself to such a degree, 
that it was hardly safe for a Spanish vessel to cross the 
ocean, until, not finding objects for their attacks, the more 
adventurous of these freebooters led expeditions against 
the Spanish settlements of Cuba, the Isthmus, and South 
America. 

The first pirate of whom there seems to be any parti- 
cular mention was one known as Peter the G-reat, a man 
who had been born at Dieppe in Normandy, and who, 
having captured a Spanish ship in a small boat with 



HEXBY 210 EG AX 



iO 



twenty-eight men, became famous. The news of this rich 
prize raised such excitement in Tortnga, that many of the 
hunters and planters determined to follow his example : 
and leaving their regular occupations, they began their 
career of piracy, at first in small boats, and as their means 
increased they invested in large vessels, with which they 
extended their operations, returning to Tortuga to dispose 
of their spoils, being sm^e of finding there ships with mer- 
chants ready to purchase them, as in a few years this island 
became a famous place of business and resort for all people 
engaged in commerce, whether legal or illegal, in those 
waters. 

A in on or the most notorious of those leaders who orio-inallv 
started out from Tortuga, was the famous Morgan, after- 




wards Sir Henry, who, after committing every crime known, 
ended by stealing the booty of his comrades, with which, 



SAXTO D02IIXG0. 



retiring to tlie Island of Jamaica, he succeeded in making 
a portion of the world believe he was a high-toned hononr- 
able man. becoming actually an officer of the Government; 
and receiving the honour of knighthood. His portraits 
represent him as a fine-looking gentleman, and he is said 
to have sprung from a respectable family in TVales : but the 
records of some of his comrades show him to be as guilty 
of hypocrisy as he was of every known iniquity. 

There was not much of which to be proud amongst any 
of these '^ brethren of the sea," no matter to what nation- 
ality they belonged; for though the " Eomance of History" 
has endeavom-ed to glorify some of them for their deeds. 
the candid reader can come to no other conclusion than 
that the whole were a lot of arrant vao'abonds. beino- 
thieves and murderers on a large scale, the only point in 
theii' favom' being thai they were all men recklessly 
brave. 

The permanent hold of the buccaneers upon Tortuga 
was not secured, however, until after many reverses : for 
the Spanish Grovernor, Acuna. having notified his sovereign 
of their occupation of Tortuga, caused so much alarm, 
that a Spanish fleet was sent to St Domingo with orders 
to destroy this settlement. 

The measures to accomplish this were taken with such 
precaution, that, in 163S. the buccaneers were surprised 
while many of their comrades were away at sea and 
others in the mountains, so that it was an easy matter to 
put those surprised to the sword ; and the Spaniards, 
thinking they had thus extinguished the settlement, retired 
without taking the precaution to leave a garrison on the 
island. 

The buccaneers who were at sea. on returning to learn 
the fate of their comrades and find their settlement de- 
stroyed, determined, for their own safety, to form a regular 
organisation, and sacrifice their individual independence 
for social security; and they, therefore, chose for their 



ISLAND OF TORTUGA. 



77 



leader an Englishman named Willis , who had distinguished 
himself amongst them hj his bravery and judgment, and 
under whose command, in 1639, they returned and estab- 
lished themselves permanently on the island. 

This island, so famous in the history of the New 



Eck&Ue cie ^ [teues J^ra^coifes 



illll lllHi i.inmiiiiiiirll. 



Plan deJf/c de la Xor'iite 



3./<* hajfe terre ou 
CMT'ort de /uRo 
D .LccTou.-r oulcFo-yi 

E. t 'is^hse 

F, le C ttem in 
ba.'Je ttTfe, 
ci lu Mon 







Plan of Tortuga. 



World, was called from its peculiar shape, as seen from 
the sea, " Tortuga de Mar," or sea- turtle, and is described 
at this time as a rocky isle, upon whose face grew roots 
of trees like ivy against a wall ; the north of the island, 
precipitous, rough, and unhealthy, affording no shelter 
whatever. On the south side there was only one port, 
indifferently good, but having two entrances, allowing 
the passage of seventy-gun ships. 

The lowlands contained the town of the port, where 
lived the principal and richest planters. On the island 
there was abundance of wood for ship-building, fruits, 
medicinal plants, &c., while wild boars, pigeons, landcrabs, 
and sea-crabs, abounded. 



78 SANTO D02IIXG0. 

Sometime after Willis had been made captain, a French 
freebooter arrived on the island, and not being pleased at 
finding so many of his conntrymen nnder the authority of 
an English leader, he returned to the Island of St Christopher, 
where the French were re-established under the command 
of Chevalier de Poincy, a Knight of the Order of Malta. 
To him was made known the condition of affau's at Tortuga. 

De Poincy immediately took steps to secure the island 
for the French : and there being at the time at St Chris- 
topher an engineer, Captain le Vasseur, an arrangement 
was made by which he should proceed to Tortuga as Grover- 
nor. On his arrival at that island he was well received 
by the French inhabitants ; and they being largely in the 
majority, the English were compelled to leave the island 
quietly in possession of the French, the former proceeding 
to Jamaica. 

Le Yasseur being thus in command, and fearing the 
return of the Spaniards, built a fort on the top of a high 
rock that completely commanded the port and entrance 
with its battery of two guns. 

De Poincy, however, began to mistrust his Governor, Le 
Yasseur, and therefore organised an expedition to fully 
establish his authority over Tortuga; but, on its arrival 
at that island, it was found that Le Yasseur had just died, 
and the troops of De Poincy being well received by the 
colonists, order was soon established. 

Hardly was thiff done when the Spaniards in strong- 
force again appeared, and a large number of the male 
inhabitants being absent, the island was captured, the 
Governor retiring within the fort, where he was besieged ; 
but making a stout defence, he was finally permitted by 
the Spaniards to leave the island with his people, with all 
the honours of war, carrying with them their arms. 

The Spaniards then left a garrison of some sixty men, 
and it remained in their possession until De Rossy, a 
gentleman of Perigord, and who had previously been a 



ISLA^^B OF TORTUGA. 79 

pirate, determined, after the deatli of De Poincy, the 
Governor of St Christopher, to recapture Tortuga. Arrang- 
ing his plans with great skill, he surprised the Spaniards, 
and took the fort from a side they thought inaccessible ; 
and then sending the Spanish prisoners in a boat to Cuba, 
he re-established the authority of the French upon the 
island. 

Leaving his nephew, De la Place, as his proxy, De 
Rossy returned to France, where he died, De la Place 
governing until 1664, when the West India Company took 
possession in right of their charter, which gave them 
exclusive control over the trade of the French Antilles. 

This company sent to Tortuga a garrison with a number 
of military and civic officers, appointing D'Ogeron as Gover- 
nor; and from that time began a period of prosperity 
and success for this island and the western part of St 
Domingo. 

D'Ogeron, acting under the company, established store- 
houses and dwellings for the servants and business of the 
company; and being a man thoroughly familiar with these 
islands and their inhabitants, acted with judgment and 
success. 

A guarantee of safety and protection being thus given 
to this island and its ports, numbers of traders, merchants, 
and pirates, were attracted there as a place both safe and 
convenient in which to transact their business, and its 
port soon became a busy and important place. 

The lands began now to be regularly cultivated, and 
the number of people increasing, soon spread themselves 
out upon the mainland of St Domingo; and war being 
declared between the Spaniards and Portuguese, commis- 
sions were issued to privateers to make war on Spanish 
commerce. 

With a view to make the settlers on land more con- 
tented with their lot, and to attach them permanently 
to their lands, D'Ogeron had a number of women brought 



80 SAX TO DOMIXGO. 

ont from Frauce, and eitlier bestowed tliein upon, or 
sold tliem to, tlie settlers. These women were the very 
dregs of the Paris courtesans, and were assigned as so 
much merchandise amongst the rude, uncouth buccaneers; 
and it is quite amusing to see in what a perfectly matter- 
of-fact way they took possession of their new helpmates :— 

" I take thee without knowing, or caring to know, 
who thou art. If anybody from whence thou comest 
would haye had thee, thou wouldst not haye come in quest 
of me. But no matter; I do not desire thee to giye me 
an account of thy past conduct, because I haye no right 
to be offended at it at the time when thou wast at liberty 
to behave either ill or well according to thy own pleasure, 
and because I shall have no reason to be ashamed of 
anything thou wast guilty of when thou didst not belong 
to me. Give me only thy word for the future : I acquit 
thee of the past." Striking then his hand on the barrel 
of his gun, he added, " This will revenge me of thy breach 
of faith ; if thou shouldst prove false, this will surely be 
true to my aim." 

Not a very encouraging style of wooing, even for a 
courtesan. 

From this time forward the Island of Tortuga, and the 
adjoining portion of St Domingo, rapidly advanced in 
importance, and the history of the French and buccaneers 
becomes identified. - 

As Tortuga grew in importance, many of the class of 
habitans had sought the seaside of the Island of St 
Domingo, establishing there, on the most convenient places, 
their plantations of tobacco, corn, &c., until almost the 
entire coast of the western part of the island was inhabited 
by these people, and newcomers were forced to go further 
inland, by which process the main island had gradually 
became tolerably well settled. The part where these 
people first located was known as the Cul-de-sac, a large 
valley in the west, extending to the sea; and the in- 



i 



B'OGERON. 81 



habitants increased so fast, tliat in 1672 there were 2000 
planters. 

At first they incurred much hardship, as they were not 
able to leave the island to procure provisions, and the 
labour of clearing the ground was very great, filled as 
it was with trees and roots. They first planted beans, 
but they ripened and died away in six weeks ; then the 
potato was laid, which did well, and following this, the 
manioc or cassava ; and subsequently, when all manner of 
fruits were raised to sustain life, the culture of tobacco was 
entered into extensively. 

Under D'Ogeron, who seems to have been a man of 
sound judgment and great energy, the French colony of 
St Domingo made rapid strides. Although constant dis- 
putes were occurring with the Spaniards in reference to 
boundaries, and although on the frontier the planters were 
compelled to work in their fields with arms by their sides, 
yet such was the wisdom of D'Ogeron, who had been con- 
firmed as Governor of the entire French possessions, 
that, in marked contrast to the Spaniards, the French 
were rapidly increasing in numbers and wealth. 

The year 1666 was a famous year in the annals of the 
entire island, being known as the year of the " Sixes," 
and the population suffered severely from the ravages of 
small-pox, dysentery, and other diseases that prevailed 
as epidemics. 

In endeavouring to extend the influence of French 
authority over the Island of St Domingo, D'Ogeron met 
with some opposition from the planters, who, having opened 
a trade with the Flemings, thought it more profitable 
to continue that, and refused to recognise the French 
right to the exclusive trade of the island, on the ground 
that they were neutrals in neutral territory. But D'Ogeron, 
with prompt decision, made an attack on the mutineers, 
and, having defeated them, hung several by way of 
example. His efforts having alarmed the Flemish traders, 



82 SANTO DOMIXGO. 

they ceased to visit the island, which was thus restored 
to tranquillity ; and as many families came out from Brit- 
tany and Anjou, the island from that time began a won- 
derful career of progress and prosperity. 

As the Spaniards, after their various raids on the French 
settlers, had left no garrisons to prevent their return, the 
latter quickly returned to their desolated places, and with 
renewed energy and enterprise rebuilt their plantations. 

Still such a guerilla war was kept up, that there was 
no peace for those hardy settlers who were forced to labour 
in their fields with their firearms within reach, until 
D'Ogeron, indignant at these repeated attacks, and the 
losses his colony had sustained, conceived the idea of 
conquering the whole of the Spanish part, and with this 
idea organised a force of 500 men, which he placed under 
the command of the freebooter Delisle, with instructions 
to take the city of Santiago, next to the capital the most 
important town in the island. 

Delisle with his troops debarked in 1669 at Puerto 
Plata on the north coast, and from thence marched upon 
Santiago, which place he found had been abandoned by 
its inhabitants, who had taken refuge in the town of 
Concepcion de la Yega. Finding, however, that Delisle 
intended to burn their city, they paid him a ransom to 
leave it intact, with which he retired by the route he had 
come. 

Encouraged by this attempt at retaliation, the French 
spread themselves out in the beautiful plain of Limonade 
near Cape Francais, hoping henceforth to be freed from 
annoyance by the Spaniards ; and as immediately opposite 
the isle of Tortuga there was a fine bay, the shores of 
which were surrounded by high and fertile hills, a per- 
manent settlement, which afterwards grew into a large 
town, was located there. This bay was known as Port de 
Paix or Port of Peace. 

D'Ogeron also in 1674 sent reinforcements to Samana, 



DE POUANCY. 



83 



which had been attacked by the Spaniards, but without 
success. 

So encouraged was the Governor by the rapid increase 
of the French colony, that he determined to return to 
France, and endeavour to induce the home Grovernment to 
send out a strong force, with which he pledged himself 
he would conquer the whole island for the French — a 
promise which, without doubt, from the weak state of the 





^m 




Port de Pais. 

Spanish colony, he would have been able easily to have 
kept. Unfortunately he died the following year in France, 
and the colony lost in him one of the best governors it 
ever had. He was, however, succeeded by De Pduancy, 
his nephew, who, though a most excellent man, does not 
appear to have been endowed with the same extended and 
liberal ideas as his uncle ; and he, fearing that the settle- 
ment at Samana could not be maintained, withdrew the 



84 SANTO DOMINGO. 

inhabitants of that place to Cape Francais, where a per- 
manent establishment had been already made. 

The French, following the example of the Spaniards, 
had in the past few years gone largely into the slave 
trade, several fleets loaded with their human freights 
having from time to time arrived at Tortuga, from whence 
their cargoes of negroes were distributed among the French 
planters, by whom they were set to work cultivating their 
lands upon the main island of St Domingo. 

Even at this early period in the island's history, the 
cruelties practised upon the slaves were so great, that in 
1678 a rising among the negroes took place, incited by a 
negro named Padrejan, who, having killed his Spanish 
master, had fled to Tortuga for refuge ; but fearing to be 
captured and punished some day by the Spaniards, and 
seeing the discontent of the negroes on the French plan- 
tations, he resolved to make use of this as a means to 
restore himself to favour with his former masters. 

Inciting, therefore, a number of slaves to join him, he 
began to attack the French settlements, killing the in- 
habitants and burning their places, finally retiring to the 
mountain fortress of Tarare, where he intrenched himself. 
His incursions annoyed the French to such a degree, that 
there was no peace or safety so long as he remained uncon- 
quered, and a number of buccaneers coming into Port de 
Paix, Governor De Pouancy made a contract with them to 
attack and capture' Padrejan ; and they, having carried 
out their plans with great vigour and resolution, succeeded 
in killing and dispersing the negro chief and his followers. 

Although on this occasion these pirates had rendered 
such signal service to the island, they were not considered 
as very desirable colonists, from their restless habits and 
indisposition to recognise any regularly constituted autho- 
rity, and though at this time they were much reduced 
in numbers, there were yet enough scattered throughout 
the island to make trouble when united with the factious 



BE CUSSY. 85 



spirits among the planters, wlio at this time were in a 
state of discontent from certain restrictions and mono- 
polies of tlie West India Company, particularly in regard 
to tobacco. 

Up to 1684, neither religion nor justice were admin- 
istered in the French colony ; and in that year two com- 
missioners were sent out from France to concert measures 
with Grovernor De Cussy for the better regulation of the 
colony. 

Courts of judicature were established for the several 
districts, responsible to a supreme council at Petit Groave ; 
and relief was asked from the home Grovernment, without 
success, for the removal of the restrictions which had been 
imposed upon commerce, particularly on the article of 
tobacco.' 

When De Cussy first arrived on the island, he found 
the inhabitants there fretting at this monopoly of tobacco 
by the Government, which farmed it out, and they im- 
mediately prayed the Governor to remove it ; but this not 
having been acceded to, they, perhaps fearing a like 
monopoly, destroyed their plantations of cotton and indigo, 
and devoted themselves to the culture of cocoa, the first 
plantation of which had been established by D'Ogeron. 

Tortuga having now become almost deserted by the 
planters who sought the mainland, De Cussy endea- 
voured to induce settlers to locate on that island, but 
without success, and the island finally came to be utterly 
deserted, its inhabitants and trade going to strengthen the 
new town of Port de Paix, nearly opposite on the main 
island. And thus this place, once of such great historic 
interest in the civilisation of the New World, entered a 
state of decay and oblivion, from which it seems never to 
have recovered. 

In the year 1685, in France was published the cele- 
brated edict by Louis XIV. that became famous under 
the name of the Code Noir, and that was to have such 



86 SANTO DOMINGO. 

an effect upon the affairs of the coloured population of the 
West Indies, as it was made to prescribe the duties of 
master and slave, and the privileges of the free coloured 
men. 

In 1689, war having been declared between France and 
Spain, M. de Franquesnay had been sent to the island to 
organise expeditions of the freebooters against the Spanish 
possessions in South America and Mexico; ihe, Grovernor, 
De Cussy, availed himself of the return of this expedition 
from Panama to conduct, in 1689, another one against 
the Spanish town of Santiago de los Caballeros. Al- 
though he encountered a force of Spaniards, who made a 
strong defence, on the banks of the Amina, ne succeeded in 
taking that place, where his men, partaking of the meat 
left in the houses, were many of them taken suddenly sick, 
and believing they had been purposely poisoned by the 
Spaniards, De Cussy in revenge ordered the city to be first 
sacked and then burned down, having accomplished which 
he withdrew his forces. 

The Spaniards, however, soon took revenge for this 
attack, for the Spanish part of the island being under 
the command of the royal admiral, Don Ignacio Caro, he 
organised a considerable expedition against the French. 

This expedition, organised in 1691, consisted of 2600 
men that entered the French territory from two points : 
by land from the, frontiers of the Cibao, and by sea at 
the Port of Bayaja (or Port Dauphin) for the purpose of 
attacking Cape Francais. 

De Cussy, getting news of the movement, organised, 
with De Franquesnay, a large force, and gave battle to 
the Spaniards at Sabana-Eeal, January 21, 1691. 

The result of this battle was for a long time uncertain, 
until Antonio Miniel, a native of Santiago, who had held 
in ambush some 300 lancers, seeing the fight going against 
the Spaniards, gave the signal to his men to attack, when, 
falling upon the French, a great slaughter ensued, among 



DU COSSE. 87 



those killed being the Governor De Cussy, Franquesnay, 
and other distinguished officers, the entire French force 
being defeated. 

Following up their victory, the Spaniards entered the 
French territory, burning and devastating everything in 
their way, and putting to the sword all the inhabitants 
they met, until arriving at the town of Guarico (Cape 
Francais), they sacked that place, giving quarter only to 
the women and children, after which they retired to their 
own part of the island, leaving the French in such a pros- 
trated condition, that when the new Governor, Dumas, took 
command, he was not able to muster a thousand men 
capable of bearing arms. 

It is probable that a long time would have elapsed 
before the French could have recovered from this severe 
blow inflicted on them, had it not been that at this 
juncture the English forces attacked and took the island 
of St Christopher from the French, owing to which cir- 
cumstance some 300 persons from that island came to 
St Domingo, and settled down at Cape Francais and its 
vicinity, giving thereby a little new life and energy to 
those people, already harassed to despair. 

The Court of France, in 1691, replaced the dead De* 
Cussy by appointing as Governor Du Cosse, who had pre- 
viously been employed in the French service at Senegal. 
On his arrival at St Domingo he found the colony almost 
depopulated, and in a deplorable state, and the fiUibusters 
almost extinct ; but with wise administration and skilful 
management he restored some new life to the colony, and 
encouraged the culture of indigo. 

In 1694, only two years after, he made a descent upon 
the Island of Jamaica, held by the English, and carry- 
ing off 3000 slaves from that island, took also a great 
quantity of indigo. 

In revenge for this disaster caused by Du Cosse, the 
English Government united its forces with Spain, and 



SANTO DO MI F GO. 



together they sent an expedition of twenty-four sail, with 
4000 men, which rendezvoused in the Bay of Manzanillo on 
the north side of the island, where they were joined hy a 
force of 2000 men, that the Spanish Governor, Don Fran- 
cisco Segura, had sent from the capital of the island. 

The expedition proceeded first against Cape Francais, 
which it took, and afterwards to Port de Paix. Both 
these places were destroyed, the men being carried off 
as prisoners by the English, while the Spaniards carried 
with them to St Domingo the women and children ; the 
allies thinking it better to retire laden with booty than 
to await an attack threatened by Du Cosse, the Governor, 
who had endeavoured to collect an army with which to 
resist the threatened invasion of these combined forces. 

The French population was further strengthened by the 
arrival of some of the inhabitants from the Island of St 
Croix. 



CHAPTER YI. 



*' How pleasant, in the burning noon of day 
Beneath the verdant canopy to stray, 
"Where ranks of palms their branching honours spread, 
That arch in Gothic aisles above the head ! " 



The Joint Occupation of the French and Spaniards — Ths 
Boundary Question — Poverty of the Spaniards — Advance of the 
French — Successful Agriculture — Tobacco and Indigo Culture — 
Cocoa Trees — The Introduction of the Coffee Plant — Ge?teral 
Improvement of the whole Island— Character of the Inhabita7its 
— French Luxury — Discontent of the Planters. 

A LTHOUG-H Spain had at no time, previous to the 
■^ peace of Ryswick, recognised the right of any other 
power to locate upon St Domingo, it will be seen how, 
by that treaty, the French came to acquire a permanent 
hold upon this island ; and while the Spanish inha;bitants 
were rapidly decreasing in numbers, and their settlements 
decaying, the French had prosecuted their opportunities 
with such vigour, that they had become masters of the 
entire western portion of the island. 

The allied powers of Europe happily having signed, in 
1697, a peace at Ryswick, by which Spain regained all the 
conquests made from her by France since the treaty ol 
Nimeguen, and the right of France to occupy and hold as 
her own territory the western part of the Island of St 
Domingo being conceded, there was, in the next few years, 
opportunity afforded for the inhabitants of that unfor- 



90 SANTO DOMINGO. 

tunate isle to improve their condition, of which the French,, 
with their usual energy, were not slow to avail them- 
selves ; while, on the contrary, the Spanish portion 
seemed to use it only to sink deeper and deeper into 
decay. In fact, from the moment the French Government 
succeeded in getting a permanent hold upon the Island 
of St Domingo, the Spanish authorities appear to have 
lost their interest in their share of the colony, and nothing 
was henceforth done to assist its progress. In truth, the 
island was almost disowned by the Spanish Government ; 
and such had been the effect of the attack of the pirates 
on the commerce of Spain, that it was with extreme diffi- 
culty that ships to and from Mexico and Peru succeeded 
in making their voyages. 

In yielding, therefore, in 1697, part of the Island 
of St Domingo to France, Spain made no particular 
sacrifice. To her the island had been, for many years, 
only a burden ; and it is an undisputed fact, that, so far 
from this island yielding any revenue to the home Govern- 
ment, the latter had been forced to expend an annual 
sum of |200,000 for some years in payment of salaries 
and expenses in keeping this island to herself, this amount 
being appropriated from the revenues yielded by Mexico 
and Peru. 

In the Spanish territory, such was the lamentable con- 
dition of this beautiful island, so rich in every gift of 
Nature, that the inhabitants, say the chroniclers of the time, 
had not clothes actually to cover their nakedness, the women 
being forced to attend a mass specially celebrated at night, 
in order that their poverty and nudity should not be seen, 
they not daring to present themselves in the daytime on 
the streets. Bread was at an exorbitant price ; and we may 
judge that these reports were undoubtedly true, when we 
learn that even the clergy had no bread or wine for the 
sacraments, while the churches were utterly despoiled of 
their ornaments. 



EXTREME POVERTY. 91 

In fact, the poverty of this colony was so extreme, 
that when the money arrived from Mexico to pay the 
salaries of the officers at St Domingo city, the clay 
was made one of rejoicing and festivity, the reception 
of the funds being announced by the ringing of bells 
and the huzzas of the people. 

So far from this condition of things, in the Spanish 
part, being improved in the following years, matters went 
even worse, and the island became almost a wilderness ; 
and although an attempt was made to increase the popula- 
tion by bringing some families from the Canary Islands, 
it did not succeed, for as many inhabitants left St Do- 
mingo as had the means ; and we learn by the census of 
1730, that the entire population of the island was reduced 
to 6000, St Domingo city itself not having more than 
500 inhabitants, its houses being closed, and port and 
streets deserted, while most of the other towns became 
extinct, leaving only a few worthy to be called such. These 
were Cotuy, Santiago, Azua, Banica, Monte Plata, Baya- 
guana, Higuey, and Seybo. 

The first French, as has been before stated, having 
settled along the coast, followed the chase of the wild 
cattle as long as there were any to hunt; but as they 
killed faster than Nature propagated, it was not long- 
before this means failed them, and they soon began to 
rely upon the supplies of cattle furnished by the Spaniards. 
The chase was succeeded by the cultivation of tobacco, 
which seems to have been a favourite labour with them ; 
and although their methods of preparing it were rude in 
the extreme, it was a source of great wealth to the early 
planters, until, becoming disgusted with its monopoly 
by the Government, which farmed out to private indi- 
viduals this valuable trade, they devoted their attention to 
other products. It stands now a curious fact in connec- 
tion with Hayti, that the lands that, under the early white 
settlers, produced not only enough tobacco for their own 



92 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



consumption, but as an important article of commerce, 
lie to-day uncultivated and unproductive, not from any 
fault of the soil, but from the utter worthlessness of the 
present population. 




Preparing Tobacco. 

Under such a short-sighted policy of the French Govern- 
ment, although the population increased in numbers, the 
colony for a few years languished, until revived by the 
cultivation of the indigo plant. For some time after the 
discovery of the island, the Spaniards cultivated a little 
indigo, and at the end of the sixteenth century they sent 
considerable quantities of it to the mother country ; but 
on the decay of the Spanish part of the island, its culture 
was soon abandoned, although it continued to grow so 



INDIGO PLANTATIONS. 



93 



luxuriantly in its wild state, as to be looked upon as a 
mere weed. The French, however, found it greatly to 
their interest to cultivate it, and prepare it, though in a 




Prepariug Indigo. 



primitive way, for the markets of Europe ; and to the 
culture of this plant the permanent success of the French 
on the island may be considered justly due. 

Every one wished to have negroes and augment his 
lands, and it was at this time that one planter began to 
acquire the land of another to augment his own portion. 

Now, too, grants were asked for, which formed what was 
called the second story, or second line of tracts, behind 
those first established on the coast. 

The success of the indigo, the increase of the popula- 
tion, and of the number of Spgroes produced by those 
brought by Du Casse from his raid on Jamaica, gave the 
first idea of establishing sugar plantations. These gave 
a new value to the lands ; and requiring larger tracts than 
9 



94 SANTO DOMINGO. 

the indigo plantations, several small ones were united, and 
became the property of one person. 

He who had sold his lot on the coast, carried his 
industry to the second, third, or fourth line, and succes- 
sively towards the interior of the colony; and thus the 
whole country gradually came under cultivation with a 
large population. The only thing not keeping pace with 
this progress being the cattle, for the French never seem 
to have paid much attention to cattle-raising, although 
encouraged to do so by the Government, so that, as this 
means of subsistence decreased, they became more and more 
dependent upon their Spanish neighbours, who, seeming to 
have a natural aptitude for this business, had established 
'' hatos " or grazing farms all over their part of the island ; 
in fact, with one exception, this was their only occupation. 

This exception w^as the cultivation of the cocoa or choco- 
late plant, which was a native of the Spanish part of the 
island, and is said, at one time, to have produced in value 
as much as the mines of the island. In fact, in the six- 
teenth century, there was no other cocoa known except St 
Domingo cocoa, and Spain was entirely provided with it 
from this island alone. 

The French, led by the example of their Governor, 
D'Ogeron, who, in 1665, had planted the first tree on the 
French part, had .created a considerable revenue by the 
cultivation of this plant, the plantations of which had 
increased in every direction, particularly in the narrow 
valleys to the west of the island, where, it is stated, in 
some of the places there were not less than 20,000 trees. 

Up to 1716 this product flourished amazingly, when, 
in that year, for no known reason, the entire stock of 
trees failed to produce, and went to decay; and it was 
not until 1736 they were again cultivated, when they 
flourished extremely well, many of them reaching a height 
of thirty feet. 

The cocoa of St Domingo has been always considered 



FINE ESTATES. 



95 



as more acidulated than that of the celebrated Caraccas, 
to which it is not inferior, and experience has proved 
that a mixture of the two gives a more delicate flavour 
than that possessed by either alone. 

So rapidly had the fortunes of some of the early planters 
been made, that we find that in 1715-17, many of them, 
with a view of enjoying their means, gained, in many cases, 
after long years of toil and absence from their native 
country, returned to France, carrying with them their 
means, invested in the securities of the Mississippi Com- 
pan}^ Unfortunately they proved worthless, and many of 
these planters were forced to return to St Domingo, and 
begin life anew. 

Others, however, satisfied to remain on the island and 
continue their agricultural labour, had created for them- 
selves fine estates, either for the growth of sugar, cocoa, or 




Old French Sugar MilL 



indigo ; and although the machinery for the manufacture 
of the former product would be considered rude in com- 
parison with the superb appliances that steam machinery 



96 SANTO DOMINGO. 

has called into existence, and which are seen in perfection 
to-day on the sugar estates of Cuba, yet the buildings on 
many of these places were erected with not only an eye to 
comfort and stability, but to beauty also. None of these 
places are to-day to be seen intact ; but from the authorities 
of the time we get illustrations of what they were. 

In 1720, a permission, originally granted to the West 
India Company, and then revoked, to bring out negroes 
from Guinea, was renewed, giving them exclusive privilege, 
in accordance with their offers, to carry to American islands, 
3000 negroes per annum. 

In its list of members, it is stated, this company had 
the names of those most distinguished in France, in the 
army, navy, law, or finance ; and the effect at first in the 
colony was, that every one prepared to increase his extent 
of land, hoping to secure some of this imported labour to 
work it. 

The colonists, however, becoming dissatisfied with this 
privilege, which allowed the company to exact such exorbi- 
tant prices for the negroes as it chose, and having in 
remembrance the sad effects of the Mississippi Company, 
rose up in open hostility to it, insomuch, that when the 
agents of the company arrived, the colonists burned the 
warehouses, shouting, " Long live the King, but no com- 
pany." 

While protesting their fidelity to the King, they went 
so far, however, as to arrest his Grovernor, Sorel ; and a 
general uprising and discontent was inaugurated, which 
was not finally allayed until 1728, when the privileges of 
the company ceased, and quiet was entirely restored. 

The whole secret of this trouble appears to have been, 
that at this time great scarcity of negroes existed in pro- 
portion to the number of acres divided among the individual 
planters ; and as their riches would be most assuredly added 
to by increasing the number of slaves on each plantation, 
the planters wished to have the privilege of bringing in, on 



THE COFFEE-PLANT, 97 

individual account, as many negroes as they desired, as they 
claimed the company took all the profit of the trade, and 
none of its risks, since the planter had to bear the loss ol 
the slaves if they died in the process of being acclimated. 

Land being so plentiful, it was granted out on certain 
restrictions for a merely nominal sum, and success then 
depended upon the number of slaves that could be obtained 
to clear and cultivate this land. 

The slave population at this time amounted to 42,895 
negroes, for some of which the West India Company were 
yet unpaid, the planters having suffered severely from the 
drought that prevailed in 1726. 

Two young coffee-trees had been given to Louis the 
Fourteenth, by the Hollander Pamcras, superintendent of 
the Garden of Plants at Amsterdam. Some years after 
they were transported to Martinique by Desclieux ; there 
these trees succeeded admirably, and a short time after- 
wards they transported numerous shoots to St Domingo, 
which propagated with an astonishing" rapidity, and from 
St Domingo the coffee-plant spread to all the other West 
Indies. 

In 1732, by an order that seems now very strange, the 
French Government prohibited, in St Domingo, the cul- 
tivation of the coffee-tree, on the plea that its inhabitants, 
having slave labour, could cultivate other products with 
profit, while the small planter of some of the other French 
islands had his existence depending upon this culture 
alone, as being adapted to white labour. Perhaps had 
this order not been issued, the planter of St Domingo 
would not have been so dependent on the slave labour, 
which was the final cause of the loss of the colony to 
France; the restriction was, however, taken off in 1735, 
when cocoa planting was also encouraged. 

With all these materials of success, the French colony, 
notwithstanding the few drawbacks above mentioned, 
made the most astonishing progress in prosperity up to 



98 SANTO DOMINGO. 



the period of the French Revolution, and its history in 
this time presents some curious and interesting facts. One 
of the native writers, speaking of the period 1737, says, '^ At 
this epoch of its greatest splendour, no spectacle more 
magnificent needs to be seen than the state of cultivation 
on this queen of the Antilles. Nature appeared to smile 
upon the laborious efforts of an active population wresting 
from this most fertile soil the most immense riches." 



Old French Plantation. 



But the philanthropist trembled at that rapid prosperity 
which was due to the forgetfulness of the most precious 
rights of man, in supporting amongst themselves a mere 
handful of planters. As luxurious as Asiatics^- they had 
became hardened in their hearts ; and the poor slave who 
made their riches was looked upon and treated as no better 
than a beast of burden. 

It was not in the nature of things that the French 
should make such rapid progress, without a people so near 
to them as the Spaniards deriving some benefit from the 
trade that quickly sprung up in the peaceable intervals of the 
petty quarrels concerning boundaries. 



SPANISH PROGRESS. 99 

Fortunately, too, for the Spanish part, a Governor had 
been appointed who displayed great energy and intelli- 
gence in improving that hitherto neglected colony. This 
was Don Pedro Zorrillo, appointed in 1737 to the entire 
command of that part. 

The Spaniards were already addicted to contraband trad- 
ing, when the war between Spain and England breaking 
out in 1740, gave a new impetus to this trade, which rapidly 
assumed the form of privateering upon the English com- 
merce between North America and England. 

Following this was the wise and independent policy of 
the Spanish Grovernor, in throwing open the ports of St 
Domingo to the trade of neutral nations, of which advan- 
tage the Dutch and Danes particularly availed themselves. 

The result was quickly seen in the rapid disappearance 
of the misery of that part of the island, and the new life 
given to agriculture, which, with the export of the native 
products, gave a new circulation to money. 

A large increase of population took place with the increase 
of trade, and with the newcomers came such supplies of 
merchandise, that necessary articles were no longer beyond 
the reach of purchase of the inhabitants. New attempts, 
in 1747, were also made to open up the mines, and this 
was not confined to the working of the old mines merely, 
but also to those of copper, iron, &c., though no positive 
results appear to have been achieved. 

In 1751 the Spanish part suffered also from a terrible 
earthquake, that did an immense amount of damage, 
destroying entirely the old town of Azua ; while in the 
same year the Ozama, during a heavy freshet, rose to such 
a height as to wash the very walls of St Domingo city, 
causing much damage. 

The people, however, of the island, seem to have become 
so habituated to these destructive affairs, that they never 
entirely despaired of seeing their island in an improved 
state ; and we learn that, in 1756, Monte Cristo, a flourish- 



100 SANTO DOMINGO. 

ing town on the north coast^ one of those towns which 
had been destroyed by order of the Government in 1606. 
was again revived as the port for the embarkation of the 
products of the great Oibao region, of which La Yega and 
Santiago were then the principal towns. 

A large number of families from the Canary Islands 
increased its population ; while it was declared a neutral 
port, a step that benefited the whole island ; for the French 
and English being at war, the prizes gained by the priva- 
teers of those respective nations were brought in there, and 
a.n active commerce was the result. Many strangers flocked 
to the island ; others, gaining riches, settled down to agri- 
cultural pursuits, and poor devastated St Domingo again 
looked up. This progress in the Spanish part was assisted 
too by the war that broke out in 1762 between England 
and her ally Portugal against France, Spain, and Isfaples ; 
for the Dominican Spaniards hastened to resort to a 
calling with which they were by this time well familiarised, 
and their privateers soon waged injurious war upon the 
commerce of the English in the West Indian waters, the 
prizes they took being carried to St Domingo, where the 
cargoes were sold to the inhabitants, or to the foreign 
merchants doing business there. The slave population of 
the Spanish part by this means was also much increased, as 
many prisoners were taken from the slavers in those waters. 

With the increase of commerce, a large trade sprung 
up in the cattle of the island, particularly witlv the French. 
who were now constantly in need, for food and labouring- 
purposes , of the cattle, horses, and mules with which the 
Spanish part was immensely stocked. 

Many new towns were founded, and, their population 
increasing, became permanently established ; among these 
were Bani, Caobas, San Miguel, and others, some of which 
are to-day extinct. 

Peace having been declared between the European 
powers, Charles the Third in 1765 made an immense step 



TREATY OF ARANJUEZ. 101 

forward, benefiting his colonies in opening their ports to 
a more liberal and general commerce, and removing the 
restriction which confined the ports of Spain to Cadiz 
and Seville alone. In this benefit St Domingo shared, as 
well as her sister isle of Cuba ; and prosperous as has been 
the latter in our day, in the middle of the eighteenth century 
she was as backward as St Domingo; for in 1730 the entire 
population of Cuba did not amount to 120,000 souls, while 
the capital city, Havana, contained not over 500 families. 

Up to 1776 innumerable had been the disputes be- 
tween the two nationalities as to the boundary line that 
should mark the extent of the frontier between French 
and Spanish St Domingo ; and though no regular agree- 
ment seems ever to have been ratified, yet, by tacit con- 
sent, a boundary defined by the river Rebouc (now Guayu- 
bin), commencing near Isabella, and extending in an in- 
direct line to the south side of the island, in the vicinity 
of Petit Goave, was observed by both sides, the country 
west of this being held by the French. 

Many quarrels had nevertheless taken place, and much 
blood was shed, and bad feeling engendered ; but, strange 
to say, the Spaniards, though the weaker party, managed 
to increase the extent of their boundaries. 

At last, however, an act was about to be done that 
seemed calculated to bring peace and quiet to both parts 
of the island, and to make amends for some of the misfor- 
tunes that had afflicted it. The boundary division of the 
two powers was to be finally adjusted. On the 29th Feb- 
ruary a treaty was signed at Atalaya, between the Brigadier 
Don Jose Solano y Bote, Governor of the Spanish part, and 
Count Ennery, Governor of the French part, fixing, as 
plenipotentiaries of the two Governments, the permanent 
boundary, the which was marked out by an officer appointed 
by each party by fixing landmarks, some of which are 
said to be in existence to-day. 

This treaty was ratified by the respective home Govern- 



102 SANTO DOMINGO. 

ments at AraDJuez. June 3, 1777, and distinctly stated the 
boundary as beginning at the moutli of the river Massacre 
(Dajabon) on the north coast, and terminating at the mouth 
of the Pedernales on the south coast, the dividing line being 
very irregular in its direction, but being marked at dif- 
ferent intervals by stone pyramids, numbered from 1 to 
221, upon which were cut the words " France," ^^ Espana." 
As this treaty has become of considerable importance in Do- 
minican and Haytian affairs, the reader will find it in full 
in the Appendix. In honour of this treaty, Charles the 
Third declared free the commerce between the two parts of 
the island, a first-fruit of peace by which the Spaniards 
profited much, since they only had cattle to give in ex- 
change for the abundant stores of merchandise of every 
variety with which the French were well supplied. 

Charles the Third also abolished, in 1778, the monopoly 
of the '^ Casa de Contracion " of Seville, by which the ports 
of St Domingo city and Monte Cristo profited very much ; 
and from this period the Spanish part appears to have made 
considerable progress, though not by any means to compare 
with the French. 

Dajabon, a new town, was established, and rapidly 
sprang into importance as a trading place on the frontier. 
St Domingo city, which had been almost in ruins a few 
years back, was rebuilt. San Juan, Banica, Santiago, and 
Azua had recovered from the effects of the earthquake 
of 1751 ; while Samana, Savana la Mar, and Puerto Plata 
were all well established and in a flourishing condition. 

By the various causes above mentioned, the population 
had been materially increased ; and an immense number of 
fugitive slaves sought refuge in the Spanish part from 
the terrors of French slavery, and settling down to agri- 
culture, they soon became an element in the population 
which had by this time become well mixed. 

It is a conceded and curious fact, that while the early 
Spaniards of St Domingo had been the severest of task- 



SLAVE LAWS. 103 



masters to their negro slaves, as time wore on they seem, 
for some reason or other, to have lost this habit, and their 
slaves were infinitely much better treated than those of the 
French. This may partly be accounted for from the fact that 
population became so reduced in the island at one time, that 
master and slave relied upon each other for company and sup- 
port, and the chains were in this way gradually lightened. 

The actual slave laws of the Spaniards were in fact 
rather mild in their character, and even more lenient in 
some respects than those of the celebrated Code Noir. 
All their laws had for their object the facilitating the 
freedom of the slave who could ransom himself by reim- 
bursing his master for his original outlay ; for not only was 
the master compelled to receive instalments on account of 
the desired freedom of the slave, but the law fixed a 
maximum price at which that liberty should be purchased, 
and which price being offered, the master was compelled to 
accept. Other articles there were, which, if strictly en- 
forced, would serve to lighten the bonds of the slave very 
much. This facility of freedom had rendered it easy for the 
blacks of Spanish St Domingo to secure their liberty, of 
which they freely availed themselves, to such an extent, 
that at one time, of a population amounting to 125,000 in 
that part of the island, 110,000 were freemen. It must 
however be remembered, "Wat large numbers of slaves 
escaped from the French and became free Spanish subjects. 

It is also a notorious fact that the Spaniards never 
seem to have had the same stringent laws against their 
intermarrying with the negroes that the French had. In 
fact, I find some old authors alluding to this by sarcas- 
tically saying, '' That the Spaniards appeared to be much 
more fond of their dusky female slaves, or Indian neigh- 
bours, than they were of their lighter-coloured spouses ; and 
though many had left legitimate wives in Spain, they 
appeared not at all reluctant to take temporary ones from 
such dusky maidens as were nothing loth." 



104 SANTO DOMINGO. 

The effects of this loose system was soon seen in the 
mixed character of population, which, gradually extend- 
ing itself as time wore on, has left its imprint on the 
present population of the island, where it is sometimes 
hard to tell where the white begins or the black leaves off. 

Nearly the same terms came to be applied to this popula- 
tion as in the French part, though, from their Spanish 
names, they appear to be different. The pure Spaniards 
coming to the colonies to seek their fortunes were known 
as " chapetones," just as they are called to-day in Cuba 
" Peninsulars." The mulattoes were at first known more 
particularly as the descendants of Europeans and negroes, 
just as " mestizoes " meant European and Indian ; but 
these distinctions are hardly to-day noted, 
j If about the only data available is accepted of the 
increase of this population — that given in the census of 
the parish priests, taken in 1785 — the augmentation in 
five years is truly remarkable ; for by it we learn this 
amounted in that time to 35,350 souls, 19,350 being free, 
and 16,000 slaves, making an aggregate population of 
152,640; a very rapid increase indeed, if we refer back to 
the year 1730, when the whole population amounted to but 
6000 souls. 

It perhaps only shows, however, of what this island is 
capable under proper government, and protection to set- 
tlers, with the right kind of inducements to emigrants. 

It is a curious fact to be noted in the history of Spanish 
St Domingo, that no sooner does its condition promise 
a speedy advance in wealth, population, and civilisation, 
than some unforeseen event takes place that throws the 
island as much further backward as it has advanced ; and 
this proves now to be the case ; for the great change that 
took place in the French part soon drew the Spanish part 
into that vortex of insurrection, massacre, bloodshed, 
and horrible civil war, and this too without there being 
perhaps the slightest similarity in the condition of the 



FRENCH PROSPERITY. 105 

affiiirs of the two parts ; for the one was just making a 
feeble effort to progress from its years of lethargic misery, 
while the other, perhaps spoiled and demoralised by its 
rapid increase in wealth and importance, was bringing 
upon itself, by its pride, luxury, and cruelties, a day of 
reckoning that will never be forgotten as long as history 
shall be read. 

Some idea of the great state of prosperity at which 
the French had arrived may be gained from a condensed 
statement of the condition of the different interests in 
successful operation in the year 1754, and these were 
estimated to be, in the commodities of the island, of the 
value of 16,250,000 (£1,250,000), and the imports to 
£1,777,500 (18,887,500). There were 14,000 white in- 
habitants only, 4000 free mulattoes, and 172,000 negroes. 

The sugar plantations numbered 599, while the indigo 
places amounted to 3379. The cocoa-trees, after being 
once entirely destroyed, had reached the immense number 
of 98,946. The cotton, which in the Island of St Domingo 
assumes more the form of a tree, numbered 6,300,637 
plants ; while of the banana, cassava, potato, and yam, 
under cultivation for supplying the means of subsistence, 
the amount grown w^as enormous. 

Although the French never professed to pay much 
attention to cattle or stock raising, yet even those had 
grown to what seems an immense number, for we learn 
there were on the French part 63,000 horses and mules, 
and 93,000 head of horned cattle. 

From this period up to the time of the Revolution in 
France, these figures were steadily increased; so that com- 
puting the limited number comparatively of the white in- 
liabitants, some idea may be obtained of the unequal 
manner in which the wealth and the riches of the island 
were apportioned. This was about the condition of affairs 
when, in 1776, the boundary was finally fixed between the 
two parts of the island. It may be well now to give a 



106 SANTO DOMINGO. 

glance at the character of the population that formed this 
wonderful French settlement of the New World. 

In the early history of the French colonisation, the 
prejudice of caste was unknown on the Island of St 
Domingo ; for the buccaneer or freebooter made very little 
distinction between the negro and the European engage, 
so long as the latter was in bonds ; but gradually the 
engages worked out their time, which was usually three 
years, and became, by economy and labour, equal to other 
whites ; and as the engages eventually were prohibited 
being brought out from Europe on account of the intro- 
duction of slaves, they ceased to exist as a class. 

The blacks, born under a hot sun, supported better the 
labour of the tropical fields than the whites, and finally, 
the former were the only class of servants remaining 
attached to the plantations, the whites confining them- 
selves to the towns, and pursuing trade or commerce. 

The whites were composed of those originally settled on the 
island, having been born in Europe ; and to their offspring 
was given the name '^ Creole," meaning the children of Euro- 
pean parents born on the island, a name that has come into 
general use, as signifying the native white inhabitants of any 
particular place, though applied for many years to the West 
Indies exclusively. Also in the towns were a large number 
of European French-, who came out to enter into business 
as merchants, shopkeepers, and tradesmen, all alike, how- 
ever, in their desire to accumulate fortunes rapidly, with 
which to return to Europe. 

The Creole soon became an important element in the 
population, and the effects of climate in those regions are 
such, that they became as they are to-day — a special type, 
being usually well made, of good height and regular figure, 
but not having that rich complexion peculiar to the Saxon 
race. The temperature of their climate is such, that they 
acquire a wonderful agility and easy suppleness of frame. 

St Mery describes the early French Creoles as a pas- 



CREOLE WOMEN. 107 

sionate, high-spirited race, with a natural impatience that 
would not permit of their making even their journeys in 
an ordinary manner ; and as the roads had been put in 
good order, they either rode or were whirled along at the 
rate of four leagues an hour. 

The Creole women were endowed with lovely figures, 
beautiful eyes, types yet visible to-day ; he relates, however, 
that these angels, with demoniacal fury, stood by and saw 
their female attendants punished in such a manner as 
would move, one would think, a heart of stone to pity. 

There can be now no dispute as to the actual demoralisa- 
tion of a large part of the people of French St Domingo ; for 
the facts are on record by numerous impartial authorities, 
principally spectators or actors in the state of affairs they 
describe. In 1760, some idea of the state of things 
existing may be learned from the report of a commissioner 
sent out from France by the Government to learn the 
cause of so many deaths by poison, which had become so 
frequent as to assume the form of an epidemic, — an extract 
from which shows in forcible terms some of the habits of 
the planters : — 

" It arises from the too intimate intercourse of the whites 
and the blacks ; the criminal intercourse that the most of 
the masters have with their women slaves, is the origin of 
this attack. A legitimate wife, seeing the intercourse of 
her husband with her servant, in the absence of the hus- 
band has her punished severely. If the master is not 
married, and that is mostly the case (marriage not being 
popular, and libertinage more tolerated), the inconstancy 
natural to the men of this climate makes them change or 
multiply their concubines, from whence arise innumerable 
jealousies and distinctions ; and in the first, as in the second 
case, are the cau,ses of the taking vengeance now upon the 
fortunes of the master, in poisoning his negroes, or taking 
his life, or that of his wife, or even their children." 

Up to 1763, it had been permitted that masters might 



108 SANTO DOMINGO. 

bring into France with them their black servants ; and 
many of the planters, being enormously rich, had large 
retinues of servants with them in Paris, where they lived 
in the most sumptuous manner, making great display of 
their wealth, insomuch that the expression at Paris became 
common, ^^rich as a Creole." Many of those who lived 
on their estates on the island lived the life of perfect 
sybarites, indulging in every luxury. 

The plains of the north and of the Cul-de-sac were 
crossed in every direction with spacious roads. The plains 
and the hills were covered with rich habitations, and with 
a white population numerous and happy. Fields of cane 
stretched out in every direction, with their boundaries marked 
by green and well-trimmed hedges. Many of the houses of 
the country were surrounded by terraces, upon which thou- 
sands of flowers of every tint and colour heightened the view. 

In the coffee-places long avenues of graceful palms 
gave shady approach to entrances of solid stone and iron, 
while fountains and stone swimming-baths served to cool 
the air, as well as afford pastime to the planters and their 
families, many of whom spent half the year in Paris, the 
other, or winter half, being passed in what it is said were 
the most beautiful homes in the world. 

The planters were only able to increase their labour 
by importations of. negroes from Africa, and therefore 
were habituated to look upon the blacks and mulattoes 
as so much human cattle, treating them in many cases 
with disdain and brutality, while the latter, awed by the 
superior education and position of the whites, looked upon 
them with fear. But from the nature of things, in due 
time there were other relations sprang up between the 
whites and blacks than those of master and slave. 

As early as 1685, when Louis XIY. published the Code 
Noir, it was seen that great irregularities had sprang up 
between white masters, who had the power of life and 
death, and their female slaves, and in order if possible to 




10 



ENTRANCE TO COFFEE ESTATE. 



MULATTOES. 109 



prevent these, many articles, now curious in their character, 
were inserted; such, for instance, as the fining of a white two 
thousand pounds of sugar who should have children by 
his slaves. If a white debauched a slave, the woman and 
her children were to be sold for the benefit of the hospital, 
without ever having the power to be repurchased. 

Notwithstanding these apparently stringent laws, this 
intercourse became so great, that it was not many years 
before another race of beings had sprung up. All through 
the colony, the connection between the white and black 
resulted in the race of the mulattoes, and eventually 
from the intercourse of these again with the whites or 
among themselves, innumerable shades of colour sprang 
up, giving rise to the distinctions, as we know them, ol 
octoroons, quadroons, &c., and of which St Mery in his 
work gives a list that is tedious in its numerous details 
of the ramifications resulting from this intercourse. To 
all these people, regular or irregular in birth, light or dark 
in colour, were given the various names of '^ people of 
colour," " sang melee," or ^' mulattoes." 

From this class also sprang another, one which, from 
the force of circumstances, eventually became of the great- 
est importance in bringing about the freedom of the 
negroes of St Domingo. This class was known as the 
" affranchis," or freedmen, being, in fact, the entire 
people of colour who were their own masters, and not 
slaves ; — a class that had, in a long number of years, been 
produced by slaves buying their liberty, by planters freeing 
their illegitimate children, and by irregular marriages of 
black and white, which, though forbidden by law, were 
yet sometimes contracted. 

The men of colour, though free as far as their personal 
service to individuals was concerned, were yet considered 
as the property of the public; and, as public property, 
they were subject to the caprice and tyranny of all those 
whom the accident of birth had placed above them. 



no SANTO DOMINGO. 

By the Colonial Government they were treated, how- 
ever, as slaves, being compelled, on reaching the age of 
manhood, to serve for three years in a military establish- 
ment, called the Mare Chaussee, This consisted of a 
certain number of companies of infantry, which were 
chiefly employed as rangers in clearing the woods of 
"marons," as runaway slaves were called; and though 
this organisation was eventually broken up, from the 
fear that arose that it afforded the people of colour a 
means of knowing their own strength, and of holding 
general communication with each other throughout the 
island, it was long enough in existence to have that very 
effect. 

Upon the expiration of their terms of service in the 
Mare Chaussee ^ the mulattoes were also subject to the 
work of the corvees^ a species of labour allotted for the 
repair of the highways, the hardships of which nearly 
all authorities agree in describing as terrible. 

Although they rendered all their military service in the 
militia of their particular province without pay or allow- 
ance, being in fact compelled to provide their own arms 
and accoutrements, they were nevertheless entirely deprived 
of any power to hold public office or employment, and were 
entirely debarred from all manner of liberal professions, and 
even the taint of blood spread to the latest posterity, so 
that no white man of any character ever thought of marriage 
with them. In the courts of justice, also, there was one 
justice for the white man and another for the coloured. 

There were, however, many exceptions; for many of the 
people of colour had acquired lands and become rich ; and 
these, by secretly buying the metropolitan agents, enjoyed 
peace and tranquillity, and received favours. 

Of the horrible cruelties practised upon the lowest class 
of the inhabitants — the negroes held in slavery — by their 
white masters, I shall in these pages give no details. They 
would fill volumes, and are to be found in the pa^es of 



CREOLE LANGUAGE. Ill 

every respectable authority of the time, as well French as 
Creole. Unfortunately, they are too familiar already to the 
public. 

The blacks proper, or negro slaves, were composed of 
slaves brought from all parts of Africa, many of them 
previously having belonged to the fiercest tribes, taken 
prisoners in battle — manj^ of them even were cannibals — 
turned loose upon the island among others, to affect them 
by their presence or example, retaining, as they did, even 
in a state of servitude, many of their customs of religion, 
polygamy, and cannibalism ; and I need only mention here 
the religious worship of Vaudoux, which has been known 
to exist within a few years, and doubtless does secretly 
to-day, among some of the Haytians. 

The Creole language served then, as it does to-day, the 
colloquial purposes of the whole of the French portion of 
the island. It is a corrupt French, in which they have 
mixed some Spanish words Gallicised, and in which sea 
terms even have found a place. At best it is but a jargon ; 
inflection has a great deal to do with it. It can only be 
acquired thoroughly when young ; no European, it is said, 
ever fully acquiring it, no matter what the term of his 
residence may be in the isles. 

Many of the servants of the planters had been at Paris 
a long time, where they had gained new ideas, and where, 
as there were many freemen of colour, they had profited 
by their example and instructions ; and returning to Hayti, 
they had carried with them new ideas about their own 
condition, which made themselves felt in the many plots 
and insurrections that were constantly being organised 
among the slaves. But public afi'airs might have remained 
in a state of tranquillity as regards the blacks, or their con- 
dition being somewhat improved, they might have become 
more contented with their lot, had it not been that the 
condition of affairs and the state of feeling existing among 
the whites towards each other and the home Government 



112 SANTO DOMINGO. 

also opened a field, and afforded an opportunity, which 
the mulattoes at first, and afterwards the blacks, seized 
upon to better their own condition. 

Troubles had sprung up between the militia and the 
regular troops, some of which ended in fatal duels on the 
part of the ofiicers, and the militia had been forced into 
special service. I^egroes were taken from the plantations, 
and forced to drill, much to the discontent of their masters 
the planters, many of whom had besides to pay a certain 
sum to keep up companies in their localities; and these 
things caused a feeling of restlessness on the part of many 
of the prominent inhabitants, and a desire to be indepen- 
dent of a metropolis that asked everything, and gave 
nothing in return. 

The Prince de Eohan came out in 1766 as Governor, 
with instructions to do all in his power to satisfy the 
colonists, and regulate affairs in a colony that had been re- 
ported at Paris to be in a state of almost open revolt, while 
its depravity was notorious, according to an account that 
describes it as " depraved as a country can be, having 
attained the apogee of demoralisation." Frightful pictures 
were drawn of the "x)rgies that these voluptuous colonists 
had given themselves up to in midnight balls, in the midst 
of which, the lights extinguished, each man used the 
woman he had seized at random." 

The Superior Council appealed to the King to redress 
some of the complaints made by the colonists, but De 
Rohan treated these as seditious. 

Then commences a period of internal struggle and 
bickering between the people, the authorities of the island, 
and the representative of the King. The prayers of the 
colonists were unanswered, and their wishes not consulted ; 
bitterness of feeling resulted, ending in the taking of 
sides, which finally resulted, from various causes, in the 
rising of the negroes. But this is deserving of a special 
chapter. 



n 



CHAPTER YII. 



' Thy chains are broken, Africa, be free ! 
Oh ! ye winds and waves, 
"Waft the glad tidings to the land of slaves. 



The Revolutions of French St Domingo — Mode of Govern- 
ment of the French — Discontent of the Planters — Their Desire 
for Independence — Aspirations of the Midatioes — Og^s Attempt 
at Insurrection — The Revolution i7i France — Its Effects on St 
Domi?igo — Contentions among the Whites — Insurrection of the 
Slaves — Participation of the English in the Affairs of the Island 
— Their Defeat, and Success of the Blacks — Cession of the Islafid 
to the Fi'ejich. 

nPHE general and popular idea of the revolution of St 
-^ Domingo has usually been, that owing to the cruel man- 
ner in which the slaves were there treated by their French 
masters, they rose up and massacred all the whites who did 
not succeed in escaping from the island ; but we shall see 
that this was only partially the case, and the result of 
other causes. 

The revolution of St Domingo is divided into three 
distinct epochs'; — the first comprises the revolution of the 
whites ; the second, that of the mulattoes ; and the third, 
the revolution of the negroes. 

Three times was raised the cry of freedom, each time 
by different races, followed by frightful mixtures of 
massacres and conflagrations and of atrocious cruelties ; 
the rich were driven away, and with them riches ; the 
whites were exterminated, but with them also European 



114 SANTO DOMINGO. 

civilisation. St Domingo conquered her liberty ; but it is 
seated upon ruins, without other companions than dis- 
order and idleness. 

The Government of the French part of St Domingo, 
up to the year 1789, was exercised by a Governor- General 
and an officer called Intendant, both of whom Avere nomi- 
nated by the Crown, on the recommendation of the Minister 
of Marine, generally for the period of three years. Their 
powers, in some cases, were administered jointly ; in others, 
they possessed separate and distinct authority, which each 
ofthem exercised without the concurrence or participatioij of 
the other ; and these powers were almost unlimited, against 
the abuse of which the people had no sure protection. 

The Governor, in fact, was an absolute prince, whose 
will was, generally speaking, the law, the com-ts of justice 
even being dependent upon his final decision in many 
cases. 

The Intendant' s proper duties were to regulate the 
public revenues, or administer the finances of the colony. 
The collectors and receivers of all duties and taxes were 
subject to his control ; he passed or rejected their accounts, 
and made them such allowances as he alone thought proper ; 
and with him rested entirely the application of all the public 
moneys. 

The taxes and duties were laid on and modified, as occasion 
required, by a court composed of the Governor- General, 
the Intendant, the Presidents of the Provincial Councils, 
the Attorney- General, the Commissioner of the Navy, 
and the several Commandants of the Militia. This court 
was dignified by the title of the Colonial Assembly ; and 
though the colonists had not a single delegate in it, the 
reader will see that, in the revolutionary state of afiairs 
in which the colony was shortly to be placed, this Assembly 
played a very important part. 

The colony, for convenience in governing, was divided 
into three provinces, the northern, the western, and the 



DISCONTENT OF THE PLANTERS. 115 

southern. In each of these resided a Deputy Grovernor, 
and in each were established subordinate courts of civil 
and criminal justice, from whose decisions appeals were 
allowed to the two superior councils, of which one was at 
Cape Francois, for the northern province, the other at 
Port-au-Prince, for the western and southern provinces. 

At the breaking out of the Revolution in France, there 
were at St Domingo several elements of trouble. The 
colonists, haughty in their pride and riches, absolute 
lords of vast domains, and arbiters of human lives in the 
persons of their thousands of slaves, borne down by a hard 
yoke, were restive under the government of a metropolis so 
far away, which, as they thought, interfered with the proper 
development of their interests, commercial as well as agri- 
cultural, and controlled by a Governor not chosen from 
among themselves, but sent from Paris, while they were 
debarred from sharing in the offices that their own success 
had created. 

The freedom in the United States, too, at this time was 
a signal of regeneration, and gave rise to new ideas of 
liberty and government ; and, as a result, the colonists 
wanted to constitute a national sovereignty for them- 
selves, and to demand, in return for the riches they sent 
to the metropolis, an independence they believed they 
merited. 

These ideas fermented strongly in the colony, and 
made rapid progress everywhere, when there appeared 
the first acts of the National Assembly in France. 

Every one of all classes and of all colours received with 
enthusiasm the news of the Revolution ; the planters saw 
therein the sister of the American Revolution, which 
should bring them also freedom and liberty of commerce. 

They hoped to govern themselves, and prescribe their 
own laws and customs ; while the numbers of small 
traders saw a chance for themselves in the numerous 
small offices that would be created, and by which, without 



116 SA^'TO DOMINGO. 

ever giving a thought to the rights of the mulattoes, they 
alone expected to benefit. 

But the mulattoes thought differently, and they judged 
that, if the former classes were to have their share in 
these new rights, they (the mulattoes) also, according to 
the newly promulgated doctrines of the rights of man, 
should have a share in the benefits which would accrue. 

Thus these very divisions of classes gave ground for 
divisions of interests and ideas, which were looked upon, 
especially those of the mulattoes, as monstrous. 

Strange to say, the mulattoes, with the negro slaves 
below them, paid at first no regard to the interests of the 
latter, having no idea that they should share in this new 
millennium of liberty ; and it was only after being van- 
quished by the negroes, that the mulattoes consented to 
receive them as equals. 

Many of the mulattoes from St Domingo and other 
French islands were at this time resident at Paris, where 
they had gone with their wealth to enjoy the freedom which 
was debarred them in their native land, as also to bring up 
and educate their children. Through these a strong prejudice 
was created against the West India planters on account of 
the barbarous treatment of their slaves, and this created a 
sympathy for the black race that took form in the society 
known as the Amis- des Noirs (Friends of the Blacks), and 
it is probably with them that efforts first began to be made 
to abolish African slavery. 

In that same city, and yet from the same isle, there was 
another class, very different in position, ideas, and feelings. 
This was composed of the rich planters, who, accustomed 
to spend most of their time, as well as most of their means, 
at Paris, had formed a club known as the 4l;Massiac," 
being the name of the owner of the house they frequented. 
They combated in toto the ideas of the Amis des Noirs, and 
demanded an independent government for the Island of St 
Dominofo. 



'^ 



//), 



TEE ASSEMBLIES. 117 

When, in 1789, the National Assembly met, a deputa- 
tion of mulattoes presented a petition, asking for their 
civil and political rights ; to which the President of the 
Assembly responded by saying, that '' not a single part 
of the nation should ask in vain its rights from the 
Assembly of the representatives of the French people." 

Meanwhile, at St Domingo, the Creoles awaited not 
even the sanction of the home Government to their 
independence ; for already they had formed primary 
Assemblies, and afterwards provincial Assemblies, repre- 
senting the three great divisions of the island, with sittings 
at the various chief towns of the provinces, Cape Francois, 
Port-au-Prince, and Aux Cayes. 

These Assemblies however, did not, permit the presence 
of a single coloured man ; on the contrary, a petition having 
been presented by a mulatto named Lacombe to the Assem- 
bly of the north, asking that the rights of the mulattoes 
should be recognised, the Assembly considered it as incen- 
diary, and hung the author. 

The three Assemblies (north, south, and west) not 
being able to agree with each other in the general admin- 
istration of the colony, resolved to confide these interests 
to an Assembly, called colonial; and this Assembly, in 
order to be perfectly free in its deliberations, held its 
sittings at the town of St Mark, 25th March 1790, taking 
afterwards the name of the General Assembly of French 
St Domingo. 

This Assembly decided that if, before three months 
elapsed, the French Government did not send it instruc- 
tions, it would assume the government of the colony. 

A decree, however, came in that time, acceding to the 
wishes of the colony in making it part of the general 
government ; providing, however, that certain laws incom- 
patible with the interests of the colonists should not be 
understood as applying to the colony, in these memor- 
able words : " It (the Government) has never meant to 



118 SANTO DOMINGO. 

comprise the colonies in the constitution (in which all 
men were declared equal) decreed for the kingdom." 

This was a deathblow to the hopes the mulattoes had of 
securing their share in the ^^ rights of man; " and they asked 
in vain at the hands of the Assemblies a recognition of 
their claim. Yet again they did not despair, but appealed 
to that clause in the decree which says, ''that should be 
considered as active citizens all men, adults, proprietors of 
real property, or, in default of such property, domiciled in 
the parish since two years, and paying contributions." 

The whites refused to interpret this as making mulattoes 
active citizens, and refused to receive them as such, placing 
themselves, on this ground, in open rebellion against the 
Government of France. 

The mulattoes, on the contrary, hoping in time to secure 
their rights legally, supported the Governor and the agents 
of the King. 

In May 1790, the General Assembly of St Mark published 
the basis of the colonial constitution, in which it stated 
very plainly its ideas of independence, and assuming to 
itself the extreme powers of the government ; so that 
from thence there were two powers, — the legitimate 
one of the King, and the assumed one of the Colonial 
Assembly. 

The national guard took sides ; those who wished the 
independence of the colony called themselves patriots, and 
mounted a red cockade ; those who wished to maintain the 
submission to the general Government and the metropolis 
were called '' aristocrats," a term of opprobrium, and these 
sported the white cockade. The planters took sides accord- 
ing as their interests dictated ; while the small inhabitants, 
knowing well the pride of the rich planters, who composed 
the patriotic party, sided against them, and with the 
Government party ; while the Provincial Assembly of the 
north, whose representatives were all more or less legal 
people, and who had been offended by a decree of the General 



. 



FIRST CONFLICT. 119 

Assembly proscribing the laws of usury and legal charges, 
sided with the Government partj^ 

The General Assembly then declared as traitors to the 
country the members of the Provincial Assembly of the 
north, and proclaimed the freedom of trade ; licensed 
two regiments of militia, and ordered their reorganisation. 
A single detachment of the regiment of Port-au-Prince, 
induced by extra pay offered by the Assembly, answered 
its call, and was incorporated in the national guard ; and 
the Assembly, carried away by its desires, called to its bar 
of trial the colonial chief. 

Peynier, the Governor, then deemed it time to interfere, 
and dissolve an Assembly that was creating civil war in 
the island. He called upon the captain of the French man- 
of-war lying in the harbour to give him aid ; but the crew 
hearing orders given to fire upon the " patriots," refused 
obedience, and sided with the Assembly. 

The Governor, not discouraged, after issuing a pro- 
clamation declariDg the Assembly dissolved, and its members 
traitors and rebels, ordered Colonel Mauduit to go with 
some soldiers and disperse the Provincial Assembly of the 
west, which had made common cause with the Assembly of 
Saint Mark. They, however, calling to their aid 400 red 
pompons of the national guard, Mauduit was on his arrival 
received by a discharge which killed fifteen men ; this so 
exasperated the soldiers that they threw themselves into 
the room, and dispersed the national guard, whose colours 
they captured; while the Assembly took to flight, the 
building being pillaged. 

The General Assembly now announced its determina- 
tion to resist, and the Governor ordered Mauduit against 
it ; while from the province of the north came a body of 
men commanded by the Baron de Vincent. 

Menaced by these forces, the Assembly saw appear at 
St Mark the same man-of-war {The Leopard) whose 
crew offered to stand by them; but the members of the 



120 SANTO DOMINGO. 

Assembly taking a sudden resolntionj determined to go to 
France on board this sbip, and appeal to the Assembly 
there to recognise their illegal acts. 

So far from acceding to this, on their arrival the National 
Assembly of France declared them all traitors, and placed 
them in arrest. 

This news made a great disturbance in St Domingo, and 
the Governor having called together the primary Assemblies 
to elect new deputies, the absent members were re-elected. 

In the midst of this excitement came the news of the 
uprising of the mulatto es, inagurated by Oge. 

James Oge, a young mulatto, son of a coffee-planter, had 
been sent to Paris to be educated, where, at the age of about 
thirty years, he had secured the friendship of the Amis des 
Noirs, who, it is said, procured for him a commission in the 
army of one of the German Electors. Finding that the 
claims of his people were not to be allowed by the Assembly 
at Paris, he made his preparations, and by a circuitous route 
reached St Domingo, where he immediately addressed the 
Governor, Peynier, a note demanding a recognition for the 
mulattoes of their rights as citizens ; at the same time pre- 
paring, with the assistance of his two brothers, a force 
among the disaffected to back up his demands. 

With him was associated Chavannes ; but though en- 
camped at Grand Eiviere, near Cape Francois, they were 
not able to gather together more than two hundred men, 
and this force was soon defeated ; Oge himself being com- 
pelled to flee to the Spanish part, where he took refuge in 
St Domingo city. 

Peynier being succeeded by Blanchelande, the new 
commander made a peremptory demand upon the Spanish 
Governor for Oge, who was most infamously given up to 
the French, in spite of the noble protest of Doctor Faura, 
the Spanish Auditor of War. The rendition, however, 
took place on condition that the French should spare Oge's 
life. 



DEMORALISATION OF TROOPS. 121 

How well this condition was kejDt we can understand 
when we learn that, in the presence of the whole body of the 
Provincial Assembly, the unfortunate man was broken on 
the wheel. 

Hardly had the whites quelled the insurrection of the 
mulattoes, than they re-opened among themselves the re- 
bellion. 

Two frigates had been sent to St Domingo carrying 
troops to support the new Governor ; but it appears 
they had been tampered with, even before sailing from 
Brest, by the friends of the Council of St Mark ; and on 
their arrival, although they had been directed to land at 
St Nicholas' mole, they disobeyed these orders by land- 
ing at Port-au-Prince. 

Their bad example led away the hitherto loyal regiment 
of Mauduit, and the patriots, mingling with the soldiers, 
seduced them so effectually, that they gave their assistance 
to the rebels, and against the authorities they had come to 
support. 

The small whites were also demoralised by the pro- 
mises and corruptions of the patriot party ; and the red 
cockades marched down to Colonel Mauduit, to ask for 
the restoration of the colours taken from them by him, 
the men of his own regiment even appearing against him. 
Mauduit seeing it would be useless to stem this torrent, 
came forward to present them the colours, when a voice 
from the crowd demanded that he should kneel down 
and beg pardon ; but, brave man as he was, he preferred 
death to dishonour, and baring his breast to the crowd, 
he fell sabred by a soldier of his own regiment, while 
the infuriated people fell upon his .body, and mutilated 
and dishonoured it in every way, dragging it through the 
filth of the streets, foremost among these demons being 
a woman. 

Such were some of the scenes enacted by white men, 
as an example to the blacks, who were shortly to out-do 



122 SANTO DOMINGO. 

their teachers in deeds of cruelty and bloodshed ; for follow- 
ing rapidly upon this event, the signal of the downfall of 
the power of the legitimate Governor, came that fearful 
episode in the annals of St Domingo which made the blood 
of the civilised world run cold with the horrors there 
perpetrated. 

From France in 1791 came the decree that '^ the 
colonial Assemblies actually existing should remain, but 
that the people of colour born of free parents shall be 
admitted to the primary and colonial Assemblies of the 
future, if they have the requisite qualifications." 

This was a firebrand thrown into the homes of St 
Domingo. The mulattoes, on receipt of this news, went 
crazy with delight, while the whites were enraged with 
vexation and disappointment. 

Open revolt was declared by the latter against the 
Grovernment, and solenin oaths were taken by members 
of the Assembly, pledging their lives, their fortunes, and 
their honour to sustain the cause. 

A scene of days of chaos and confusion followed, in 
the midst of which Jean Francois, a mulatto, with a negro 
slave, Boukmann, on the plantation Turpin, gathered a 
force of negro slaves, and marched upon the town of 
Cape Francois, carrying as their banner of liberty the 
body of a white infant on a spear-head, and murdering 
and devastating in their whole march until they reached 
the environs of the town. 

Amidst the confusion that arose in the town on receipt 
of this news, the mulattoes demanded arms from the whites 
to assist in repelling the negroes. So far from their request 
being granted, the whites fell upon them, and massacred 
them, accusing them of having instigated the rebellion. 

The negroes were soon defeated by the assembled forces 
of the whites, who pursued their advantage by killing and 
murdering the negroes in every direction ; and a saturnalia 
of blood was inaugurated which makes the heart sick at the 



HORRIBLE ATROCITIES. 123 

accounts of the cruelties practised by those polished whites 
from that most finished city, " The Paris of the West 
Indies."' 

But these deeds brought their own punishment ; for the 
whole black population, finding they had no mercy to expect 
at the hands of the whites, rose in revolt under the leader- 
ship of Jean Francois, and Biassou, his lieutenant. 

Everywhere the fires of the incendiaries were lighted, and 
the once noble habitations were burned to the ground, while 
the hitherto smiling plains of successful agriculture be- 
came vast wastes of desolation. 

To add to the strength of this uprising, the minority 
party of the whites is said to have encouraged the blacks ; 
and the latter assumed, in their first attempts, to be fight- 
ing the cause of the King, whom they maintained the whites 
had in custody at Paris. 

The negroes marched to Port Margot, bearing a banner 
on one side of which was inscribed, " Vive le Roi," and 
on the other, " Ancien Regime ;" and while calling them- 
selves '' King^s people," their leader marched at their head 
wearing the decoration of the order of St Louis. 

A letter found at one of the plantations after a fight 
implicated also the Spaniards in this movement of the 
Royalist party, and subsequent events seem to confirm it. 

The crimes committed by one of these negro chiefs 
(Jeanuot) almost pass the bounds of credence, and yet they 
are verified by many authorities. Young girls ravished in 
presence of their parents, white men sawed to pieces be- 
tween planks, others maimed, or their joints dislocated, 
while the fiend stood by and drank human blood mingled 
with tafia. His crimes became, however, even too great 
for the negroes, and he was taken and put to death by Jeaji 
Francois. 

Meanwhile the patriotic party, so far from being dis- 
mayed by the storm they had raised, refused assistance 
from France, and applied to the English at Jamaica for 
11 



124 SANTO DOMINGO. 

help ; and before sufficient time had elapsed for them to 
hear from there,, the patriot troops mounted the English 
round hat, with a black cockade for the national colour. 

Lord Effingham, the Governor of Jamaica, did not deem 
it wise at once to accede to the demands of the patriots, 
but sent supplies of arms and ammunition, and also 
stationed a man-of-war on the coast. 

Meanwhile the negroes were carrying on their attacks 
and devastations, until the whites were forced to take 
refuge in the towns, until, at the battle of Limbe, the 
negroes were defeated. 

Yet again the mulattoes, who in all these troubles ap- 
pear to have been more inclined to the whites than to the 
negroes, asked for a recognition of their rights, which were 
refused them. 

Claiming then that they had law upon their side, they 
assembled together and elected their chiefs, among whom 
were some men of great intelligence, afterwards distin- 
guished in the history of the island (Rigaud, Petion, &c.). 
They fixed the seat of their operations at the little village 
of Croix des Bouquets, only a few miles from Port-au- 
Prince. 

A ffi'st attack upon the mulattoes by troops from Port- 
au-Prince was unsuccessful ; and the old planters having 
allied themselves *with the mulattoes, as the " Ancien 
Regime," their power became established in the island, as 
the nucleus around which gathered increasing power, inso- 
much that the assembly of Port-au-Prince finally agreed 
that in future the garrison of that place should consist of 
equal numbers of whites and coloured men, agreeing at the 
same time that the Colonial Assembly should be re-composed 
in accordance with the decree of the 15th May. 

When, however, the Colonial Assembly re-united at the 
Cape, it would not approve of this action, and broke the 
agreement, again placing itself in communication with the 
English, without result; and shortly after news arrived 



SUCCESS OF THE BLACKS. 125 

from France of the approval by the home Government of 
its opposition, and civil war was again inaugurated, in 
which the two parties were arrayed against each other — 
the mulattoes and negroes each day learning their power 
better, and the whites of either party committing such 
atrocious deeds as subsequently were unequalled by the 
blacks themselves. 

The blacks and mulattoes having coalesced, a battle was 
fought between them and the whites at Croix des Bouquets, 
March 28, 1792, in which the whites were entirely de- 
feated, and driven back into the city of Port-au-Prince. 

It is related by several authorities, that notwithstanding 
the success of the blacks in this engagement, the negroes, 
under the command of their black chief Hyacinth, be- 
haved themselves with the utmost propriety. Not a house 
was burned nor a white man molested subsequent to the 
battle; on the contrary, the cliiefs ordered the negroes to 
return to work. 

In other parts of the island the black and white royalists 
met with success everywhere, until the agents of the 
French Government, seeing how hopeless was the state of 
affairs, returned to France to report the condition of matters 
in the island. 

By the edict of April 4, 1792, the National Assembly 
of France again declared the right of the free coloured man 
to a share of the government ; and electing three new 
commissioners, ordered a new election of the colonial 
Assemblies. 

With these three new commissioners came 6000 troops. 
Slavery was to be legalised, while giving rights to free 
coloured men. Upon this the mulattoes separated them- 
selves from the negroes in revolt, and joined the troops of 
the party of the commissioners. These had, on their arrival, 
declared they recognised but two classes in the island — the 
freemen, without distinction of colour, and the slaves. 

Meanwhile the assembly of Port-au-Prince continued 



126 SANTO DOMINGO. 

their resistance, while that of the Cape dissolved. The 
former place was blockaded by land and sea, — Rigaud, a 
mulatto general, having command of the troops on land. 

The Assembly made a stout resistance ; but on the arrival 
of the French commissioners with troops, the city was, 
after an attack, surrendered, some of the principal rebels, 
however, making their escape to Jamaica. 

Meanwhile the blacks, ignored by the whites and the 
mulattoes, were in arms ; and various forces, under the com- 
mand of Rigaud and other mulatto generals, were sent 
against them ; and after various combats, the negroes were 
subdued, and an amnesty being offered, 14,000 negroes 
availed themselves of it, and the island was thus almost 
restored to a state of tranquillity under the commissioners, 
except in the province of Grand Anse, when war was 
declared between France and England, May 1793. 

G-albaud, a planter of St Domingo, or at all events the 
owner of a coffee estate, had been appointed Governor of 
the island by the authorities in France ; and his predilec- 
tions being strongly on the side of the colonists, he rather 
over-slaughed the commissioners and their acts. 

They, on their part, sheltering themselves behind the 
law that no planter could be appointed to authority in the 
island, and that at the time he (Galbaud) was given in 
France his appointment it was not known that he was a 
planter, refused to recognise his authority. 

Nevertheless, they were willing that he should return to 
France and make known this fact, and be reinvested with 
his powers as Governor. 

Galbaud's brother would not submit to these proceedings, 
and accordingly collected from among the inhabitants, the 
Cape militia, and the seamen in the harbour, a strong party 
to support the Governor's authority. 

This dispute led to some terrible scenes and affrays ; for in 
a few days the two brothers, at the head of a large number 
of followers, marched against the Government House in Cape 



DREADFUL BUTCHERY. 127 

Francois, and were proceeding successfully, when a body of 
seamen, getting possession of a wine-cellar, became intoxi- 
cated and ungovernable and their column was obliged to 
seek shelter in the royal arsenal. 

JSfext day much parleying ensued : but Polverel, the com- 
missioner, rejected the overtures of the Governor ; then fol- 
lowed scenes of horror indescribable ; for the commissioner, 
having made overtures to the blacks under Biassou and 
Francois, which were rejected, they were finally accepted by 
a negro chief named Macaya, who, with 3000 revolted slaves, 
entered the town, and murdered indiscriminately men, 
women, and children. A few white inhabitants attempted 
to seek shelter on board the ships ; but were intercepted by 
the mulattoes, and a dreadful butchery ensued, which 
horrified even the commissioners themselves, who were un- 
able to appease the angry passions they had roused, being 
forced themselves to seek shelter in a neighbouring fort, 
while Galbaud, with the frightened citizens, seeking refuge 
in the ships in the harbour, set sail for the United States. 

When the revolt among the negroes had begun in the 
northern province, many emigrations of the whites had taken 
place to the adjoining islands and to America. Some of 
the principal planters had even gone to England, and 
invoked the aid of the British Government, which had been 
refused until the war was declared between France and 
England, when, in 1793 the Governor of Jamaica received 
instructions to receive the submission of those inhabitants 
of St Domingo who solicited the British protection, and 
for this purpose he was directed to send a force to hold such 
places in St Domingo as should be surrendered to him. 

The French commissioners, Santhonax and Polverel, al- 
though they had succeeded, in addition to the force of 6000 
regulars brought with them from France, in raising a large 
body of men from the national guard, the militia, and 
even the free blacks and runaway slaves, yet had these 
troops scattered over a large extent of territory. 



128 SANTO DOMINGO. 

On the first information, therefore, of the attack of the 
English, they desired to strengthen their condition in every 
way, and for this purpose issued a proclamation abolishing 
slavery, offering clothes and arms to all slaves who would 
enrol themselves under their banner. 

Many of the negroes availed themselves of this oppor- 
tunity to secure arms and accoutrements, with which they 
immediately deserted to the mountain fastnesses, where, with 
a large number of others, they formed themselves into a sort 
of mountain republic. 

Among the principal leaders of the blacks in the early 
period of the uprising was Jean Francois, who bore the 
title of general, and to whom was afterwards joined others 
of note, as Biassou and Rigaud ; but the two former were 
more closely allied, ravaging together with their followers 
the same districts on the Spanish frontiers. 

As the above declaration of emancipation in the French 
part jeopardised in a great measure the interests of the 
inhabitants of the Spanish part, among whom there were a 
large number of slaves, the frontier towns, with the consent 
of the local authorities, and in connection with many of the 
royalist French emigrants, secretly assisted Biassou and 
Jean Francois with arms and money, in order that these 
chiefs might increase an insurrection among the people of 
colour, under the plea that the Liberals were in arms against 
the King because he had declared the liberty of the slaves. 

Notwithstanding this plea, the Spaniards profited by their 

^ assistance to the negro chiefs in receiving from them the 

; negro prisoners they took, as well as the slaves they ran off 

from the plantations, giving in exchange for them cattle and 

gold ; these poor creatures were then shipped, at great profit 

by the Spaniards, to Porto Rico and Cuba. 

The death of Louis the Sixteenth of France made a 
great change in the state of affairs on the frontier of St 
Domingo; for Biassou and Francois, onreceiving news of this 
event, renounced the revolutionary Government enth-ely, and 



ENGLISH SUCCESSES. 129 

with their companions abandoned the French territory, and 
seeking shelter among the Spaniards, took the oath of alle- 
giance and service with Charles the Fourth of Spain, and 
for their services they received commissions of high rank, 
Francois being made general, Biassou field-marshal, and 
Toussaint colonel in the Spanish army. 

In the contests that followed, Spain not recognising the 
republic of France, much damage was done by both parties 
on the frontiers, several Spanish towns being destroyed, 
and the inhabitants of those districts losing all the advan- 
tages they had gained in years of peace. England and 
Spain having united to divide the island between them, the 
Spanish troops pushed their black allies under Biassou and 
Francois v^ith such vigour, that the French rapidly lost pos- 
session of a great part of the south, and the whole north of 
the island. 

The English, meanwhile, had landed, though not in very 
great force, at Jeremie, on the 19th September, being 
commanded by Colonel Whitelock ; and assisted by several 
frigates, the town of St Nicholas soon fell into their 
hands. An attempt on Tiburon was not so successful, 
failing utterly. 

St Mark, Arcahaye, Leogane, and other towns, however, 
soon fell into their hands; and encouraged by these successes, 
a second and successful attack was made upon Cape Tiburon, 
by which means nearly the v^hole of the western coast was 
subject to their control, except Port-au-Prince. 

Port de Paix, an important town on the north-w^est 
coast, was much desired by the English ; but it was stoutly 
defended by a veteran general of the French service, 
Levaux; and finding it impossible to take it at once by 
force, they resorted to corruption, hoping to bribe the old 
chief to surrender ; but he not only declined these overtures, 
but sent a challenge to the English commander for the 
insult offered him in making such a proposition. 

The English and Spaniards had agreed to divide the 



130 SANTO DOMINGO. 

island between them, in consideration of which, the latter 
were now giving the English their assistance in the attack 
on Port de Paix, but without success. In this alliance 
between the English and Spaniards, the famous Toussaint, 
who, for his valuable services, had been rewarded as stated 
above by the Spanish Government, was faithfully doing 
them service. Levaux and Rigaud, meanwhile, had been 
making war against the English with varied success, 
assisted in great degree by the delay in the arrival of ex- 
pected reinforcements ; but these having arrived, the city of 
Port-au-Prince fell into the hands of the English, with a 
large booty, the 14th of June. The French commissioners, 
who were at this place, made their escape, with numerous 
followers, before its surrender, to the neighbouring moun- 
tains, taking with them, by means of a number of mules, a 
large amount of valuable property. Finding, however, that 
the island was now pretty much in the power of the coloured 
people, captained by Rigaud and Toussaint, the commis- 
sioners sought the first opportunity to return to France, 
where it appears their proceedings were duly approved of by 
the French Government. This was followed by the general 
spread of the English throughout the different portions of the 
island ; but they had come into possession of so many towns, 
and such an extent of country, that their own troops were 
not numerous enough to hold them, and they had to rely in 
many cases on negro slaves, officered by themselves, or 
those French who were in favour of their cause. In many 
cases these allies proved faithless, and Rigaud and others 
were still carrying on their operations, by which the English 
troops met with disaster, to say nothing of the effects of the 
climate upon troops that were utterly unaccustomed to its 
peculiarities. 

When Levaux was sorely besieged at Port de Paix by 
the English, he bethought him of Toussaint, whose 
influence he knew was very great with the negroes ; and 
by means of a faithful messenger he sent him an offer to 



TOUSSAINT rOUVERTURE. 131 

induce him to leave the Spaniards and join him (Levanx), 
with his forces, promising to make him a general of brigade. 

Although Toussaint was in the service of the Spaniards, 
and had been decorated by them, he judged that the inte- 
rests of the negroes would be safer under a republic than 
with the Spaniards ; and he therefore persuaded his followers 
to join him, and accepted the offer of Levaux. Some 
Spaniards attempting to interfere with his plans, he did 
not hesitate to put them out of the way, and joined Levaux 
at Port de Paix. 

The peace of Basle in 1795, which ceded the Spanish part 
of the island to the French, was the means of augmenting 
the troops of Toussaint, who was now at the head of a large 
army, by the adhesion of Jean Francois and his troops. 

Toussaint, hopeful at this time of the cause of his race, 
took the name of L'Ouverture, in order, as he said, to 
announce to the colony, and, above all, to the blacks, that 
he was going '^ to open to them the door of abetter future," 

Although the English were deserted by their allies, the 
Spaniards, they remained, with varying success, upon the 
island; until in 1797, the French Grovernment made Tous- 
saint general-in-chief of all the French troops on the 
island, an authority which in effect he had enjoyed for 
some time previously. 

The war was then pursued with greater vigour against 
the English, who, although succeeding in making brave 
resistance against the French, were finally, in 1798, com- 
pelled to give up the island, the troops under Greneral 
Maitland being withdrawn ; but not until a treaty of peace 
and commerce had been formed on the part of the English 
Government and Toussaint, by which St Domingo was recog- 
nised as an independent and neutral power duriog the war. 

It is related that the English, in their attempts to estab- 
lish their power on the Island of St Domingo, expended the 
sum of £20,000,000 sterling, losing by disease and death 
45,000 men. 



132 SANTO DOMINGO. 

In the midst of these operations, the year 1795 brought 
a peace between France and Spain, the conditions of the 
treaty of which ceded the entire island to the power of the 
French; the Spanish troops, it being agreed, should, a 
month after the promulgation of the treaty, vacate their 
part of the island, delivering up all the forts, ports, and 
places occupied by them, as soon as the French troops 
should arrive to take possession — a sad period in the history 
of Spanish St Domingo. 

In order to consummate the terms of this treaty, the 
French sent to St Domingo city Commissioner Roume 
to confer with the Governor Garcia in the arrangements 
for the details of its fulfilment as to the cession of the 
Spanish part to the French. 

After waiting there a month, and making all prepara- 
tions, and the French authorities not sending either the 
means or troops to take possession, the commissioner was 
obliged to return without having fully accomplished his 
object, and the condition of this part remained unaccom- 
plished, from the fact that the English invasion and the 
civil war prevented the commissioners sending the neces- 
sary troops, so that the Spaniards remained in possession 
until December 1795. The Spanish Government having 
then sent a fleet to take away the troops, and such in- 
habitants as wished to retire to other Spanish possessions, 
the opportunity was seized to transport the remains of 
Columbus, then resting in the grand Cathedral of St 
Domingo city, to the Cathedral at Havana, where they at 
present remain. 



m 



CHAPTER YIIL 



'• Sleep calmly in thy dungeon tomb, 
Beneath Besancon's alien sky, 
Dark Haytien ! — for the time shall come. 
Yea, even now is nigh, 
When everywhere thy name shall be 
Redeemed from error's infamy, 
And men shall speak of thee 
As one of earth's great spirits ! " 



Tous saint's Rule — The Independence of Hayii-- — Tons saint takes 
Possession of the Whole Island^ giving it a Constitution — Affairs 
under Toussaint — Napoleon Attefnpts to Restore the Island to 
the French — Details of le Clerc's Expedition — Toussainfs 
Capture — Rebellion against the French — Cristophe Dessalines — 
Fif ml Failure of the French, and their Capture by the English 
Fleet— Dessalines Marches agaiiist the Spanish Part — His 
Discomfiture — His Cruelties i7i that Part of the Island — Becomes 
Emperor — His Cruelties and Butcheries of the Whites — Con 
spiracy against Him — His Death, 

TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE,* one of the most remark- 
-^ able characters in history, was now in almost supreme 
control of the island, for though commissioners were sent 
out from France, such was the power he wielded over the 
people of all classes and colours, that he was able quietly 

* Toussaint was originally a slave, but said to be descended from a royal 
chief in Africa. His early life was exemplary for a person of his condition, 
being passed upon a plantabion of the Count de Noe, where, the overseer 
taking a fancy to him, he was allowed to learn to read and write, even picking 
up some Latin and mathematics ; and having been promoted to be coacLman, 
he had increased opportunities to improve his mind, thus laying the founda- 
tion of that wisdom he afterwards manifested. 



134 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



to make the commissioners act subserviently to liim (Tous- 
saint). 

All authorities seem to agree that under Toussaint a reign 
of order began in the island that was remarkable. The 
blacks, proud to see one of their number in chief command 
in the island, looked up to Toussaint as a god ; while he, 
with a thorough knowledge of his race, prescribed such rules 
and orders as kept them in a state of tranquillity. 

He ordered them all to return to work, as they were 

before the war ; to la- 
bour on the plantations, 
for which they were 
paid as labourers; and 
he gave every protec- 
tion to the whites, even 
inviting those white 
planters who had fled 
the island to return and 
reoccupy their estates. 

Under his wise rule 
St Domingo soon ad- 
vanced in the most rapid 
manner in her agricul- 
tural and social pros- 
perity ; but while Tous- 
saint was wise in peace, 
he was equally iron- 
handed in war, and 
some of the cruelties 
perpetrated upon the 
luulattoes, who at first refused to recognise his supreme 
authority, tarnish somewhat his fame. 

The year 1800 saw the island in a somewhat more settled 
state, the French part, with the exception of a small pro- 
vince in the south, where Rigaud still held out against the 
authority of Toussaint, was in a comparatively tranquil state. 




Toussaint L'Ouverture. 



DUPLICITY OF ROUME. 135 

and nominally under the authority of the French Republic, 
which was represented by the Commissioner Roume. Tous- 
saint was, however, the, real authority in the island. 

This chief was not satisfied, however, until he was able 
to claim that the whole island, including the Spanish por- 
tion, was under his dominion, and he therefore proposed to 
the Commissioner Roume that the cession required by the 
treaty of July 1795 should now be carried out. 

Roume seems to have been quite aware of the ultimate 
intention of Toussaint to make himself independent of the 
Government of France, but considering it better to hide 
his suspicions, he so far assented to Toussaint's suggestion 
as to authorise him to appoint Generals Age and Chanlette 
the agents, with necessary powers to accomplish this transfer 
of authority. While apparently acting thus in good faith, 
he, with great duplicity, secretly sent word to the Spanish 
Governor that he should refuse to deliver up the Spanish 
domain, and should manage to detain the commissioners 
until a force from France should have time to reach St 
Domingo city, and hold it for the legitimate authority of 
France. 

Carrying out these secret instructions, the Spanish 
Governor- General Garcia managed to comply so well, that 
the envoys, who had with them only a small escort, were 
made to believe that their lives even were not safe from the 
Dominicans, who would not listen to the surrender of their 
city ; and they returned to the Commissioner Roume as 
rapidly as possible, and made their report. 

Upon the strength of this, Roume rescinded his order for 
the surrender of the Spanish part ; but Toussaint, compre- 
hending the duplicity of the commissioner, at first im- 
prisoned him, and finally sent him out of the country to 
France. 

The French representative being now out of the way, and 
Rigaud the rebellious subdued, Toussaint found himself in 
unmolested supreme control of the island ; and deeming it 



136 SANTO DOMINGO. 

a favourable time to put in operation a plan he had long 
been maturing, he, on the 9th Koyember 1800, sent a note 
to General Garcia, demanding satisfaction for the insult 
offered his officers, and advising him that he should send 
General Moise at the head of 10,000 troops to take pos- 
session of Spanish St Domingo in the name of the Eepublic 
of France. 

In order to give force to this note, at the same time he 
despatched it he put in motion the force under General 
Moise, his nephew, by the northern road through the Cibao 
country, while he himself, at the head of a column also of 
10,000 men, marched by the southern route directly upon 
St Domingo city. 

General Garcia, in command at that place, made every 
preparation to resist these movements, and while sending 
word to the authorities of the Cibao to interfere as much as 
possible with the march of General Moise, he himself took 
measures to delay the march of Toussaint upon the capital. 

These measures were, however, comparatively ineffectual, 
though much annoyance was caused Toussaint by the 
activity of the militia against his columns, until he arrived 
at Naga, where a strong force in three columns resisted 
him so effectually that he was compelled to arrest his pro- 
gress and resort to diplomacy to carry out his objects. 

This he did by writing a note to Garcia, telling him that 
he, Toussaint, was surprised to find resistance on his 
journey, which he had not taken as an invader, but as an 
officer of the French Republic, to carry out the provisions 
of a treaty made with it by Spain. 

General Garcia, fearful that his own conduct in the 
matter would not be sustained by his Government, and 
satisfying himself that Toussaint really had documents 
that empowered him. to act for the French, decided to cede 
his authority, and on the 2d January 1801, opened the 
gates of St Domingo city to Toussaint, who, at the head of 
his troops, took possession of this famous city, nominally 



EMIGRATION OF WHITES. 137 

for the French Republic, the ceremony being solemnly 
consummated by a Te Deum in the Grand Cathedral, at 
which the principal authorities and the troops assisted. 

Toussaint being in possession, there was an immediate 
embarkation of a large number of the inhabitants ; first, 
the Governor and the Spanish officers and their families : 
the members of the religious orders ; the most prominent 
of the citizens, all of whom by the treaty were permitted 
to take with them their property of every kind. Thus for 
the first time was the island left without the actual de- 
scendants of its original discoverers, and the star of Spain, 
which had blazed with such glory for a time in the New 
World, now disappeared from St Domingo, to reappear 
only in later days amid revolution, persecution, and cruelty. 

Added to this emigration were all those French and 
their families who, flying from the revolutions in the 
western part, had sought shelter from those troubles in 
the Dominican part, and who now, having no sympathy 
with the new authorities, took their leave of the island ; 
and, for the same reason, many of the native Dominican 
families, whose pride would not permit them to remain sub- 
ject to negro rule, though perhaps many of them counted 
in their ancestors people of that colour. 

These people sought the various islands of Porto Rico, 
Cuba, and others, which, by this accession of experienced 
planters of the cane and coffee, reaped immense advan- 
tages from this culture, to which they were really the first 
to give a scientific and sj^stematic form. 

Thus the poor impoverished St Domingo of to-day has \ 
been the innocent cause of benefiting and enriching her | 
neighbours, while she, with more luxuriant vegetation, j 
richer soil, and better climate, awaits an emigration that J 
will bring peace, order, and riches to her shores. 

It is related that after the surrender, Toussaint had the 
horrible idea of putting the remaining Spanish inhabitants 
to the sword, and for this purpose he ordered the populace 



138 SANTO DOMINGO. 

to gather in the public square, where he then directed they 
should be separated, the women and children together, and 
the men by themselves, the different groups being sur- 
rounded by bodies of troops. 

It is even said that Toussaint's sister-in-law, knowing of 
this intention, had passed the previous night in prayer, 
asking God to take away from him such thought. 

If he ever entertained such idea, he did not proceed to 
execute it, for though he walked amongst the women asking 
cruel and rude questions, he finally, on the approach of a 
terrific storm, allowed them all to disperse without harm ; 
an action that the superstitious thought was the result of a 
miracle of the Lord in sending the storm at that moment. 

Being thus in possession of the whole island, Toussaint 
seems to have with great wisdom arranged his plans to 
benefit this part; and in naming Paul L'Ouverture, his 
brother, as Governor of the south, with headquarters at 
St Domingo city, and General Clervaux in command of 
the north, with headquarters at Santiago, he gave to the 
Spanish part of the island officers who, by their wisdom 
and judgment, were acceptable to the Dominicans. 

Having arranged his authority satisfactorily in this part 
of the island, Toussaint, by a circuitous route, returned to 
the western part ; it being stated his journey was a perfect 
ovation from its beginning to its end ; and the inhabitants 
looked forward under his rule to a season of peace and 
prosperity, — a future they had a right to expect, since, for 
the first time in its history, the whole island was united 
under one government. Efforts were made, by systematising 
the laws, improving the means of communication, and 
opening the ports of the island to the commerce of the 
world, to restore it to a peaceful place in the political 
world. 

To better consummate this, Toussaint, who had long- 
meditated his plans, determined to declare the island 
independent of any European power; and having formed 



''CULTIVATORS." 139 

the plan of a constitution for the island, in which he was 
assisted by several Europeans (Pascal, Abbe Moliere, and 
Maunil), it was submitted to a general assembly of repre- 
sentatives convened from every district, by whom it was 
approved and adopted. Afterwards it was promulgated in 
the name of the people ; and in July 1801, the island was 
declared independent, with Toussaint L'Ouverture as its 
supreme chief. 

Unfortunately for himself and his country, he held this 
position but a short time. 

The autumn of the year 1801 found every part of St 
Domingo in quiet submission to the authority of Toussaint, 
rapidly improving in wealth and happiness. 

Agriculture had been re-established, and many of the 
French planters had returned and taken possession of their 
old estates, though they had no longer any slaves. This 
name had given way to that of " cultivators," and the law had 
fixed that they should receive for their labour one-third of 
the crops. While thus offering liberal rewards to industry, 
heavy penalties were inflicted for idleness. 

The negro population, owing to these wise regulations, 
which gave them greater ease and more abundant food, was 
rapidly increasing in numbers. 

Among the better classes, following the example set by 
their former French masters, a great degree of luxury, and 
even elegance, was maintained, many of their houses being 
furnished in the most sumptuous manner. 

In their social life there was a great degree of ease, 
cordiality, and even refinement ; churches were opened, 
and religious ceremonies, according to the Romish Church, 
performed ; dramatic exhibitions were given, and some at- 
tention paid even to music and painting. 

Such was the state of ajffairs when, the hostilities between 

Great Britain and France having ceased, Bonaparte, 

who now held the position of First Consul, was able to 

turn his attention to St Domingo, and determined to 

12 



140 SANTO DOMINGO. 

re-occupy that island for France by sending out a large 
expedition. 

In the harbours of Brest, L' Orient, and Uochfort, a 
squadron of twenty-six vessels was collected in the montli 
of December 1801, and on board this fleet was a force of 
25,000 men, completely armed and equipped. In com- 
mand of this force was Napoleon's brother-in-law, General 
Le Clerc, and with him were many other distinguished 
officers, Rochambeau being in command of one of the 
divisions; Villaret was the admiral-in-chief; while Ma- 
dame Le Clerc accompanied her husband to participate in 
his triumphs. 

On the 28th January 1802, this fleet arrived in the Bay 
of Samana. Three divisions were immediately sent to dif- 
ferent parts of the island. G-eneral Kerverseau was sent 
with one division to St Domingo city, General Boudet with 
another to Port-au-Prince, while Le Clerc himself, witli 
the rest of his troops, except a detachment sent to Manza- 
nilla Bay, went to Cape Francois. 

St Domingo city, after some resistance, and through the 
strategy of a native Dominican, Colonel Baron, in getting 
possession of some instructions from Toussaint to his 
brother Paul in command of this city, fell into the hands 
of the French under Kerverseau, the 20th February 1802: 
while at the same -time General Ferrand received the sub- 
mission of General Clervaux in command of the negro forces 
of the Cibao. 

Thus the Spanish part immediately came under the do- 
minion of the French authorities. Kerverseau, as having 
been the chief of the expeditionary force, assumed command 
of the colony, remaining at St Domingo city, where he 
governed, it is said, with such strictness and severity, 
that the Dominicans soon grew weary and restless under 
him. 

As this capitulation had been brought about by the 
Dominicans making an attempt to assist with arms the 



FRENCH OPERA TIONS. 141 

efforts of the French, Toussaint L'Ouverture, when he re- 
ceived the news of the fall of this capital, which he had 
directed should be defended to the last extremity, revenged 
himself in the most cruel manner by murdering in cold 
blood nearly the whole of a regiment of Dominicans who 
were at Port-au-Prince with him, having taken the pre- 
caution to disarm them, and send them under escort to a 
place called Yerette. 

At St Domingo city, General Ferrand, claiming to be the 
superior officer, had deposed Greneral Kerverseau from his 
office, and imprisoned him for refusing to recognise his 
authority, finally sending him (Kerverseau) to France as a 
prisoner, after which Ferrand appears to have devoted him- 
self with great zeal and energy to the material welfare of 
that part of the island, improving the capital by seeking to 
bring to it the waters of the river Higiiero, in the vicinity. 

Meanwhile a terrible state of affairs was existing in the 
western part of the island. 

General Rochambeau, on the 2d February, landed at 
Fort Dauphin, on the north coast; and before any demand 
of any kind was made upon the authorities, the troops were 
landed on the beach in line of battle ; and a number of the 
negroes having gathered there in mere curiosity, were put 
to the bayonet, and the fort immediately taken by the 
French. 

The next day, the main body of the fleet and army, under 
Villaret and Le Clerc, arrived off Cape Francois, and im- 
mediate preparations were made to land and take posses- 
sion of the town. Henry Cristophe, a black man, who sub- 
sequently became famous as well as infamous, was then in 
command of the district of the Cape as general of brigade, 
and on the approach of the fleet he sent a messenger on 
board to inform its commander that his superior governor, 
General Toussaint, was absent at present ; and such being 
the case, he could not permit the French to land a single 
soldier until orders had been received from Toussaint. In 



142 SANTO DOMINGO. 

case, he declared also, the French should refuse to await 
these instructions, and should attempt to force a landing, 
all the white inhabitants would be considered as hostages 
for their conduct, and that an attack on the town would be 
followed by its immediate conflagration. 

Le Clerc immediately replied, that if, in the course of the 
day, the forts Picolet and Belair, with all the batteries on 
the coast, were not surrendered, he should land his forces 
the next day at daybreak. 

Cristophe replied to this letter, refusing to comply with 
the demand, and stating that he would make such a 
defence '^ as became a general officer." 

A deputation of the inhabitants also waited on the 
French general, and, with the Mayor at their head, begged 
him to make no attempt on the city, as the blacks would 
certainly put all the white people to the sword. Le Clerc 
received this deputation politely, gave them some proclama- 
tions to circulate, and refused their request. 

On the 6th February he landed his troops some distance 
below the town, but sailed his fleet up to the mole of the 
city. Cristophe, however, no sooner received news of this 
movement, than, knowing the town to be indefensible, he 
set fire to it, and withdrew with his troops and some 2000 
white inhabitants, to whom, though he had threatened to 
do so, he did no harm. 

News had by this time reached Toussaint, who was in 
the interior of the island, of the state of afl'airs, and with 
immediate promptness he issued orders putting the island 
in a state of defence against the French. 

It was at this time that Toussaint was endeavoured, 
through the medium of his children, to be seduced into 
giving in his allegiance to the French. 

Two of his sons had been sent to France to be educated, 
and had now reached quite mature years, one being almost 
of age. These sons the French Government had sent out 
on the expedition, in hopes that through them Toussaint's 



NEGOTIATIONS WITH TOUSSAINT 143 

sympathies would be worked upon to yield without a con- 
flict the dominion of the island. 

Under the escort of their tutor, they were sent out to 
the home of their father, some ten miles from the Cape, 
Toussaint having passed his word, which even his enemies 
say was never broken, that the children and their tutor 
should be returned in safety, without regard to the result 
of their interview. 

At the same time, Le Clerc sent an epistle, written by 
Bonaparte, and addressed to Toussaint, in which he was 
promised all manner of honours if he would give in his 
allegiance, while the tutor was instructed to make every 
effort, through the children, to induce Toussaint to accede 
to these proposals. It is only necessary to say here, that 
these offers were all unsuccessful ; that Toussaint, with a 
great effort, sent back his children in these words, " Take 
back my children, since it must be so. I will be faithful to 
my brethren and my God." 

Negotiations failing, Le Clerc issued proclamations ad- 
dressed to the " cultivators " of the island, endeavouring 
to enlist them against " their severe tyrant and master," 
and in many ways directing their attention to the hardships 
Toussaint had put upon them. 

To the black soldiers and officers he made tempting 
offers ; and as many of these were ambitious for themselves 
and jealous of their chief, numbers were induced to join the 
French ; while the most ignorant cultivators, seeing these 
things, and probably indifferent so long as they remained 
unmolested, took no active part. 

The campaign was opened by Le Clerc ; and then com- 
menced a terrible war, that for months devastated again 
this beautiful land, in which, with varying success, 
thousands of lives were lost on both sides. But as Le 
Clerc was constantly joined by negro troops and officers 
who became tired of the war, and who doubtless believed 
they would be as well off under French as negro rule, the 



144 SAJVTO DOMINGO. 

island would probably have soon again returned to the 
dominion of France, had it not been for a fatal mistake of 
policy. 

Le Clerc, carried away by his success, and thinking he 
had no further obstacles to overcome in the reconquest ol 
the island, came out boldly with the original programme 
of the expedition. 

This was to declare the negroes restored to their former 
owners, or their attorneys, a proceeding which, being an- 
nounced to the inhabitants of the island by a proclamation 
issued in March, fell amongst them like a bombshell, as 
every promise had been given all classes that slavery would 
not be re-established on the island by the French. 

Toussaint was far too wise a man not to avail himself of 
this weapon that the French had placed in his hands ; for, 
knowing full well the spirit of his race, he felt he could 
now count upon them, even to the humble cultivator, with 
safety, and he therefore immediately arranged his plans to 
prosecute the war with renewed energy, and joining his 
forces with those of Cristophe, he left the shelter of the 
mountains for the sea-coast, where the cultivators, the class 
most interested in the French proclamation, were in the 
largest numbers. Wherever Toussaint went, he called upon 
the blacks, however, of every class to take arms and join 
him ; and this theydid to such an extent that he was soon 
able to drive the French of the north into the town of 
Cape Francois, which he would undoubtedly have captured, 
had it not been that the French hastened to concentrate 
their forces at that place. 

Such was the congregation of their forces at this place, 
and so closely were they besieged, that large numbers fell 
a prey to a^ pestilence which broke out among the troops. 

Le Clerc, finding himself thus cornered in the island, and 
powerless to take active measures, resorted to diplomacy, 
and issued another proclamation, dated April 25th, which 
he caused to be distributed amonof the blacks. 



TOUSSAINrS CAPTURE. 145 

This set forth that when he first arrived in the island 
he was not familiar with the condition of its affairs, and 
that therefore some mistakes had been committed, and that 
in order to remedy these, and provide for the peace and 
welfare of the island and the liberty of its inhabitants, 
an assembly should be called of representatives from dif- 
ferent parts, of the colony, without regard to colour. 
Negotiations were also opened with Cristophe to bring 
the prominent officers and their troops to terms. 

Although the terms, as proposed by Cristophe, were not 
very palatable to the French, they were finally accepted ; 
and by the beginning of May a peace was concluded with 
Toussaint, and the subordinates and troops under him, by 
which the dominion of France over the whole island was 
duly acknowledged by all the inhabitants. 

One act of treachery on the part of the French remained, 
however, yet to be performed ; for Toussaint, having retired 
with his family to a small plantation near Gronaives, was, 
in the middle of the very month in which the treaty of 
peace had been made, taken prisoner at midnight with all 
his family, and taken on board a French firigate which had 
sailed into the harbour in the dead of night. From thence 
he was transferred to the frigate Hero, sent to France, 
where, being placed in close confinement, first in the dun- 
geons of Joux, and afterwards in those of Besangon, he 
died, as it is supposed, of starvation, the fact of his death 
being announced in the French gazettes of April 27, 1803. 

This breach of faith on the part of the French opened 
the eyes of the negroes to their ultimate designs ; and 
Le Clerc having assumed the rank of Governor- General of 
the island, and issued a decree giving a new form of 
government, some of the compatriots of Toussaint took 
alarm, and immediately placed themselves at the head of 
some bodies of negro troops. Most prominent of these 
chiefs were Dessalines, Cristophe, and Clervaux. 

A rising took place also about this time in the interior 



U6 SANTO DOMINGO. 

among the mountains, of other chiefs, one of whom was 
a nephew of Toussaint ; and the whole island was soon 
ablaze with the fires of the insurrectionists,* so that the 
French were soon busily occupied in their new efforts to 
subjugate the island. 

A chapter of horrors might easily be written from the 
events that followed. French writers themselves speak of 
the scenes then enacted with loathing and disgust, and it 
is not perhaps to be wondered at that, when the negroes 
came into power, they retaliated upon the French some of 
the revolting cruelties that had been practised upon their 
own people by the officers and soldiers of that nation. 

To this day almost, ^^ Les l!^oyades " of the French are 
spoken of with horror ; for their usual method of disposing 
of their prisoners, by making them kneel on the edge of a 
trench some twenty or thirty feet in depth, and then 
shooting them until the trench was filled by their dead 
bodies, was deemed too tedious and troublesome : as an 
easier means the negroes were placed in vessels, carried 
out some distance to sea, and, being chained together, 
were forced overboard and drowned. 

Such was the French civilisation that was desired to be 
introduced into the island ; but some of their refinements 
were truly of a classic kind, for, following the example of 
the ancient Romans-, they had their arenas, in which the 
performers were naked negroes and ferocious bloodhounds, 
brought from Cuba expressly to hunt this kind of game. 

Retribution followed these deeds, it would appear ; for 
the commander-in-chief, Le Clerc, worn out with troubles 
of body and mind, died on the island, and his corpse was 
sent to France, followed by his apparently inconsolable 
widow. 

Rochambeau succeeded to the command, but long months 
were spent without the French making headway ; in fact, 
they were gradually losing their hold, foot by foot, notwith- 
standing that new troops had been sent out from France, 



MUTUAL ATROCITIES. 147 

until, at the beginning of 1803, the French were again 
cooped up in Cape Francois. 

Here the negro chief of the besiegers, Dessalines, gave 
an idea of the character which he was later to develop into 
brutal bloodthirstiness. In one of the engagements the 
French had captured some 500 prisoners, and without 
taking into consideration that numbers of their own men 
were in the hands of the enemy, the French general ordered 
them all to be put to death. 

When this news reached Dessalines, he at once ordered 
500 gibbets to be erected, and selecting all the French 
officers he had in his power, and adding a sufficient number 
of privates to make up the total to 500, he caused them all 
to be hung up at break of day in sight of the French army. 

In the spring of this year, war had been again declared 
between England and France ; and in July an English 
fleet appeared off the harbour of Cape Francois. 

Dessalines immediately opened communication with its 
commander, asking his co-operation against their common 
enemy ; and although the latter declined positively to accede 
to this request, yet the efforts of the fleet in blockading 
the sea front of Cape Francois, materially assisted Dessa- 
lines, who, with his troops, cut off communication by land 
for the French. 

Notwithstanding this, the French held out until Novem- 
ber, being reduced, however, to the extremity of feeding on 
the very dogs of the place ; and Dessalines at that time 
making his preparations to storm the town, Rochambeau 
deemed it best to make terms for its surrender, and the 
withdrawal of the French from the island. 

Articles were signed on the 19th November with Dessa- 
lines, by which it was permitted to the French to evacuate 
Cape Francois and all its forts, with the munitions of war 
pertaining thereto, while they were to be allowed to retire 
on board their ships, with all their private property; the 
sick and wounded were to be left in the hospitals, to be 



148 SANTO DOMINGO. 

taken care of by the blacks till they were sufficiently 
recovered to be sent back to France in neutral vessels. 

Notwithstanding these terms showed much liberality 
and great kindness of feeling on the part of Dessalines, 
the French were not satisfied without attempting to com- 
mit another act of treachery with their black enemies ; for 
on the very day of the meeting with Dessalines, the French 
endeavoured to treat with the commander of the English 
fleet for the surrender to him of the city, but in this they 
were not successful. 

This coming to the ears of Dessalines, the surrender of 
the city was immediately demanded, and the flag of the 
negroes was, on the 30th November, placed on the walls of 
the city, the French retiring to their ships, where they 
were in a state of great alarm ; for the blacks, it is pre- 
sumed for their meditated treachery, had threatened to 
sink the ships of the French with hot shot. 

The English, who had been watching off the harbour, in 
expectation of capturing this fleet, had a message sent them 
by the French commander that he was willing to surrender 
to them, to escape the threatened attack of the blacks ; and 
the English commander having accepted the terms pro- 
posed, the negro authorities were notified that the French 
fleet was under the protection of the British flag, and were 
therefore requested to commit no hostile act. 

As soon as the wind permitted, the French fleet sailed 
out of the harbour with its flags flying, but as soon as 
they were outside these were hauled down, the broadsides of 
the vessels fired, and the fleet surrendered. 

Shortly after, the small force remaining on the island at 
St Nicholas' mole took its departure, and thus the power of 
Napoleon was lost for ever on that part of the island. 

Dessalines now devoted himself to placing the island in 
a condition to benefit by the new state of affairs, and 
amongst other things, in order to allay the fears of the 
whites remaining on the island, issued a proclamation pro- 



DESSALINES. U9 



niising protection and safety to all, stating that the war 
that was just ended had been in no wise carried on against 
the people of the colony. A proclamation having been 
issued the day before the evacuation of the French, signed 
by Generals Clervaux, Cristophe, and Dessalines, declaring 
the island independent, a formal declaration took place to 
this effect on the 1st day of January 1804, signed by all 
the chiefs and generals of the army, in the name of the 
people of Hayti, a name which had been determined on for 
the new republic. Jean Jacques Dessalines was declared 
Grover nor- General for life, with power to enact laws, to make 
peace and war, and to nominate his successor — powers of 
which he made most horrible use. 

Dessalines has become one of the most prominent charac- 
ters in the history of Hayti; and his indiscriminate slaughter 
of the whites in the island, to whom he had promised pro- 
tection, would cover his name with eternal infamy, were he 
otherwise a god. On the contrary, he was a rude, unculti- 
vated, illiterate negro, who, by force of circumstances, 
strong physique, and undoubted bravery, came to have the 
power of life and death over thousands of human beings, 
the lowest of whom was perhaps his superior in those 
feelings which are but the natural adjuncts of man. 

His first act was to encourao^e the emio^ration from the 
United States of blacks and mulattoes. He offered $40 
per head to the captains of American vessels for each indi- 
vidual of colour they should return to Hayti. He offered to 
open his ports to the slave ships, and to allow the people 
of Jamaica the exclusive privilege of selling negroes in 
Hayti, to be limited to men only. This he did on the plea 
that he wanted recruits for his army, and that so many 
slaves would be brought from Africa that his plan would 
secure them from slavery elsewhere, while making them 
freemen in Hayti. 

Hardly established in his position of Governor for life, 
this monster in human form issued a proclamation for the 



150 SANTO DOMINGO. 

purpose of inciting the blacks to murder all the French 
on the island, stating a long list of the crimes they had 
committed against the blacks, and appealing to the love 
of the latter for dead parents, brothers, &c., to rise 
up and revenge themselves. This, however, not being 
acted upon by the people or troops, he himself, with his 
soldiers, proceeded to different towns, and murdered, 
in cold blood, the French, making no distinction of age 
or sex. 

At Cape Francois, not being satisfied that he had success- 
fully accomplished his object, he issued a proclamation 
announcing that justice (?) was satisfied, and inviting a;ll 
who had escaped the massacre to appear on parade. When 
they did so, they were taken and shot ; and it is related that 
the little stream that runs through the town was actually 
discoloured by the blood of the slain. 

General Ferrand remained in possession of St Domingo 
city with a small French garrison ; and although at first a 
number of the inhabitants of the Spanish part had quietly 
accepted the Haytian Government, they had eventually 
sided with the French, and during the troubles of the 
blacks in the west, many of the French and their families 
had sought refuge among the Spaniards, where, it is said, 
their intelligence and example was having a good effect 
upon the progress of that part. 

No sooner, however, had Dessalines arranged affairs in the 
west, than he set about compelling the Spanish part of the 
island to submit to the Haytian rule. 

This movement was, besides, quickened by an impolitic 
order that General Ferrand had issued, that the Domini- 
cans should make slaves of all prisoners of either sex, of 
more than fourteen years old, that they should take from 
the Haytians. 

In order to accomplish this movement with certain suc- 
cess, Dessalines had endeavoured to keep his preparations 
secret ; but Ferrand, getting information, made every pre- 



DISCOMFITURE OF DESSALINES. 151 

paration to protect the capital, placing guns in position 
even on the roofs of the churches and convents. 

Dessalines having previously caused to be circulated 
among the Spaniards proclamations in which he threatened 
all manner of evils in case of resistance, put himself in 
march from Cape Francois on the 14th May 1805, and 
taking a circuitous route through the western and southern 
provinces of the west, he finally crossed the frontier with a 
force of 25,000 men. 

The Dominicans united with the French ; and such a 
terror had Dessalines' name spread over the island by his 
cruelties, that the very slaves in the Spanish part took arms 
against him in favour of their masters, whose kind treat- 
ment had strengthened their attachment. 

Notwithstanding these resistances, which assumed only 
the form of guerilla attacks against so large a force, Des- 
salines' troops succeeded in getting possession of Azua, 
Santiago, and other places of any importance, and finally 
sat down before the capital ; but he met here with such a 
vigorous resistance, that he was compelled to arrange his 
plans for a regular siege, when the arrival of a French fleet 
off the harbour interfered with their consummation, and he 
therefore determined to retire suddenly upon the region of 
the Cibao. This he did by forced marches, laying waste the 
whole country as he passed along, and murdering the 
inhabitants wherever he found them. Such was the depre- 
dation he committed, that it was years before Spanish St 
Domingo recovered from the desolation and misery he 
caused. 

On his return from this expedition, Dessalines had himself 
made Emperor, the empire being made into six military 
divisions, commanded each by a general, who corresponded 
directly with the head of the Government. The constitu- 
tion by which the empire was purported to be formed was 
signed by twenty-three men professing to have been ap- 
pointed as representatives of the people ; and in it were some 



152 SANTO DOMINGO. 

singular declarations, such as the exclusion of white men 
from acquiring property ; the general name of '' blacks " for 
all the subjects of Hayti, of whatever colour ; the suspension 
of citizenship by bankruptcy ; every citizen was also re- 
quired to profess some mechanical art. 

The condition and treatment of the cultivators was again 
prescribed by law as formerly, and they worked the estates, 
many of which had now become the property of the state, 
though the illegitimate children of former owners were 
allowed to make claims. 

The sugar plantations had been mostly all destroyed ; they 
have never since been restored in any number. The chief 
produce then (1805) was, as it is to-day, coffee, of which 
about fifty ordinary shiploads were produced. 

The population numbered at this time about 400,000 
souls, the women being in a large majority. In fact, the 
cultivators were nearly all of this sex, so rapidly had the 
war carried off the men. After the expulsion of the French, 
Dessalines was in great fear that they would return, and he 
therefore used every means to strengthen his army and 
increase his resources. At this time the regular army 
amounted to about 15,000 men, 1500 of whom were -cavalry. 
Although well armed and drilled, they were badly uniformed. 
To this force the militia was endeavoured to be made a 
strong adjunct, every adult male being compelled to be 
drilled. 

In case of another invasion, Dessalines had so arranged 
his plans that the troops were to withdraw to the hills and 
mountains, after having destroyed the towns and laid waste 
the plain country ; and for this purpose a series of forts were 
erected on the tops of hills within support of each other, 
and the ground in their vicinity planted with such fruits 
and vegetables as would serve for food. 

Dessalines, however, did not live long to preside over his 
empire ; for his natural disposition to cruelty, increased by 
the power with which he was possessed, at last passed all 



DEATH OF DESSALINES. 153 

bounds, and the horrible deeds he committed, without the 
sanction of either la,w or justice, roused the people to rebel 
against his rule ; and his life was ended by some of his own 
soldiers, who, in arms against him, ambushed him at the 
'^ Pont Eouge," a short distance from " Port-au-Prince," 
the 17th October 1806, — shooting him, it is said, as he 
charged fearlessly upon them with only a walking-stick for 
a weapon. 



CHAPTEE IX. 

' And Hayti, from her mountain land, 
Shall send the sons of those who hurled 
Defiance from her blazing strand 
The war-gage from her Petion's hand, 
Alone against a hostile world." 



TTie Whole Island United under one Government — Dessaline^ 
Successors — Cristophe and Petion — Civil War — Peace hetwee?! 
the two Chiefs — Troubles in the Spanish Part — The Expulsion 
of the French — Co-operatio7i of the English — Restoration of the 
Authority of Spain. Rebellion against her Rule — Death of 
Cristophe a7id Petion — Boyers Rule — Allegiance of the Spaiiish 
Part to him — Condition of the Island — French Claims — Boyers 
Decline — The Republic of Dominica. 

AN the death of Dessalines, the power naturally fell into 
^ the hands of Henry Cristophe, the second in command 
of the army, whom we have already seen acting so decidedly 
against General Le Clerc at Cape Francois. 

Petion, a mulatto, however, put forth his claim to be the 
chief ruler, though Cristophe immediately assumed the 
title of " Chief of the Government of Hayti ; " and civil 
war was again produced by the contention of these two 
chiefs. 

Horrible and tyrannical as became the after career of 
Cristophe, there is no question that he began his reign in 
a wise and most judicious manner, that would have resulted 
eventually in great benefits to the island ; but it seems a 
peculiarity of the negroes in power in this island, that no 
sooner do they begin to feel a little assured in their posi- 



PETION. 155 



tions, than the negro instinct of displaj^, love of power, or 
some inherent element of cruelty, induces them to commit 
acts that bring on their own ruin, while horrifying the -_ 
world with deeds of bloodshed. Unfortunately the acts of thei v^.^^*^ 
white man in such periods do not permit us to claim much' ' "'■'-^■'^'^^ 
more for him on the score of humanity. -m* / Vv^ 

Hardly had Cristophe assumed the reins of power than 
the rival candidate, Petion, placed himself in opposition 
to him ; and it is with some little pleasure that the eye, 
running over the pages of the history of this time, finds in 
the person of this new chief some solid elements of civilisa- 
tion, humanity, and education. 

Petion, a mulatto general under Dessalines, had been 
educated at Paris, at the Military Academy, and was said 
to be a man of letters and of refinement, of gentle disposi- 
tion and charming manners ; and having been educated to 
the military profession, served with ability as the chief 
engineer of the blacks. 

At Dessalines' death he was in command of Port-au- 
Prince ; and when Cristophe marched against him, Petion 
endeavoured to check his progress at a place called Cibert, 
some four miles from that city. But he was then, January 
1807, defeated, and forced to fly for his life. 

Then began another civil war in the island between the 
two parties, headed by these respective chiefs, which finally 
ended in Cristophe's remaining master of the entire northern 
district, with his headquarters at Cape Francois ; and by a 
sort of tacit agreement, Petion in 1812 remained in posses- 
sion of the southern province, with his capital at Port-au- 
Prince. 

Thus the western end of the island was in the power of 
two parties, while in the eastern or Spanish, part matters 
were also in a complicated state. 

Notwithstanding the various troubles in the island, and 
the bad success of the French in their attempts to maintain 
their control of it, they had still retained some power in 
13 



156 SANTO DOMINGO. 

the east by their possession of St Domingo city and 
Samana; and it would seem as though they held on to 
these places as points d'appuis, from which they hoped to 
renew their efforts to re-establish their power over the 
western part. To facilitate this plan, many French soldiers, 
or those favourable to the French cause, had been settled 
in the Spanish part, and had been armed and organised ; 
and many of the officers even had been encouraged to 
create families for themselves among the Creole women, 
so that there should be some permanent interest held in 
the land. This had created quite a strong body ; and as 
the French held all the official positions, they had full 
power to make themselves obnoxious to the native and 
Spanish residents. 

. This they did to such an extent that a revolutionary 
movement was inaugurated by one Juan Sanchez Ramirez, 
a citizen of Cotuy, who raised the standard of revolt among 
the Spaniards, but at first without much success, and he 
was forced to take refuge in Puerto Rico, where, however, 
some of the Spanish exiles united with him, and forming 
a party, they landed in the province of Seybo, and awakened 
the inhabitants of that part to resistance against the 
French. 

The state of affairs in Spain strengthened this movement ; 
for the Spaniards 'in the island, taking courage from the 
example of the mother country in throwing off the rule of 
the Bonapartes, rose up at the same time as Sanchez 
Ramirez's landing, and a strong movement was made in 
the vicinity of Azua, and also in Cotuy. 

The movement in Seybo gained such headway, that 
Ferrand, after making attempts to quell it through his 
subordinates, was compelled to take the field himself, 
leaving St Domingo city in charge of a subordinate 
general, Barquier. 

Ferrand, the 8th November 1808, met the Spaniards at 
'' Palo Hincado." At first the French, fighting with great 



SUCCESS OF RAMIREZ. • 157 

bravery, were successful ; but some of the native troops 
having deserted them, they were quickly defeated by 
Bamirez and his followers ; and the brave veteran Ferrand, 
after having taken the life of one of their leaders with one 
pistol, blew out his own brains with the other, on finding 
himself alone, and his troops all either dead or deserted, 
not caring to survive his ignominious defeat* 

The whole of the Spanish part was now in arms ; and 
Cristophe deeming it a matter of policy to aid in destroy- 
ing the last vestige of the power of the French in the 
island, assisted the Spaniards with supplies of all kinds, 
the result being that the French were finally cooped up in 
the two places of St Domingo city and Samana, where 
they were closely besieged by the revolutionists under 
Eamirez, who now held the chief command over the 
Spaniards. 

Unprovided, however, with artillery or besieging material, 
the latter were unable to capture these places, and they 
sustained a siege of some nine months, the garrisons, parti- 
cularly that of St Domingo city, suffering immensely, 
while the Spaniards who were detained in that city had to 
submit to every cruelty and hardship during this long 
term. 

Eamirez finally sought aid from the English, sending 
an envoy to the Governor at Jamaica, who fitted out an ex- 
pedition against Samana, which arriving there in November 
1809, the place was captured, the French made prisoners, 
and their vessels taken by the English, the place being 
handed over to the authority of the Spaniards. 

In July 1809, another British force had been despatched 
from Jamaica to St Domingo city, under Admiral Cumby, 
the land forces being under General Oarmichael ; and after 
some delay, and just as the English were ready to open 

* In later years Santana boasted he had the skull of Ferrand, which had 
been captured by his (San tana's) father, and that he intended to keep it as an 
heirloom in his family. 



158 SANTO DOMINGO. 

their mortar batteries upon tlie city from the heights of 
San Carlos, Barquier agreed to capitulate ; and on the 10th 
Julj^, the French haying evacuated the town, the cross of 
St George was, for a second time in the history of this 
antique city, flung to the breeze from its walls. 

The keys of the city were retained, to be presented by the 
English Ambassador to the Spanish authorities at Seville, 
as a token that the ancient domain of St Domingo was 
once more restored to the authority of its parent country ; 
and on the 11th July, G-eneral Carmichael, the English 
commander, handed over the city to the patriot chief 
Ramirez, who took possession of it at the head of his troops. 

A commissioner was then despatched to Spain to notify 
that Government of the restoration of St Domingo to its 
authority ; but that country was in a state of war and con- 
fusion, and the Government, represented by the Junta of 
Seville, received this news with indifference, as the question 
of the home Government then was how to maintain its 
own safety, without caring to give thought to the re- 
acquisition of territory already parted with by its own 
volition. 

An alliance, however, being formed between Spain and 
England, which gave a more favourable aspect to the 
affairs of the former, a commissioner, Francisco Zavier 
Caro, was appointed and sent out to St Domingo, to give 
affairs there a regular form. The patriot chief Ramirez 
was confirmed as brigadier-general, and appointed Captain- 
General of the island ; a decree was also passed entitling 
St Domingo, as part of the American colonies, to send dele- 
gates to the Central Council ; and the island was organised 
into the same form of government in vogue before the 
cession to the French in 1795, the church organisation 
being the same. 

In fact, the old-time policy of Spain was restored of 
making the island but a place for official patronage, and 
the appointments to important offices were made of persons 



''ESP AN A BOB A." 159 

sent out from Spain; the services of those who had been 
the means of restoring the island overlooked or ignored, 
and the Creoles and other residents of the island found 
themselves overmatched by newcomers from Spain. This 
was especially the case with the soldiers, many of whose 
promotions were revoked, and officers' appointments 
ignored. 

This period is known in Dominican annals as the time of 
" Espana boba" (Spanish puppet), for nothing was done to 
benefit the island ; and, as a writer pithily observes, it was a 
time when there was no distinction between rich and poor, for 
all the inhabitants alike were in a state of extreme poverty ; 
there was no luxury of any kind — neither theatres, inns, 
public walks, or any inducements for spending money, for 
there was no money to spend ; in fact, the people vegetated 
rather than lived, tranquilly devoting themselves simply to 
their favourite amusements of mass, dancing, and religious 
festivities — a description that will equally apply to-day. 

With the exception of a few trifling incidents, of local 
importance only, this condition of affairs continued, im- 
proved only a little by the accession of some of the 
exiled families to the population, and by the acts of some 
of the Governors, until, in 1814, the treaty of Paris gave 
regularly back to Spain her right upon the colony. 

So far from this appearing to have benefited the island, 
it, on the contrary, seems to have reaped no advantage 
whatever, and the inhabitants appear to have amused 
themselves at various times in this period by getting up 
revolutions, of which, it is said, there were some fourteen, 
though none of them amounted to anything until Jose 
Nunez de Caceres raised a strong party, incorporating in it 
the principal men of the island, and declared for its inde- 
pendence, which was finally accomplished, with little 
trouble and loss, in December 1821. Then a new 
banner was given to the breeze, with the name of 
'* Colombia" as the designation of the new republic. As 



160 SANTO DOMINGO. 

this lasted, however, only six weeks, it is not worth while to 
dwell upon it. 

Meanwhile we have left the western part of the island 
in possession of the blacks, under the two rulers Cristophe 
and Petion, who had agreed to a sort of quasi-peace, 
and both were devoting themselves to the advancement of 
their different governments. 

Petion's government, however, had been disturbed by the 
insurrection raised by Jean Baptiste Perrier, who, in 1807, 
had raised the standard of revolt in the mountains of 
Jeremie, for the nominal purpose of assisting Cristophe, 
and he carried on this insurrection for a number of years. 

In 1810, General Rigaud had arrived on the island, 
having made his way from France, and he also raised a 
revolt, assuming the command of the south, forming a 
council at Cayes ; and thus, in this period, the Island of St 
Domingo may be seen with five distinctive governments 
upon it — that of Old Spain, of King Cristophe, of President 
Petion, of General Rigaud, and of Perrier. 

Pigaud dying, however, in 1811, was succeeded by 
General Borgella,who finally gave in his adherence to Petion. 

Cristophe had first made himself king, then emperor, 
and had set up a court that he endeavoured to make surpass 
the most gorgeous in Europe. 

Petion, meanwhile, as president of the republic, was 
earnestly devoting himself to the good of the people and 
the improvement of the country. Though he did not follow 
the example of Cristophe in bestowing orders of nobility, he 
yet rewarded his followers with grades of military rank. 

During the government of these two chiefs, and after 
the fall of Napoleon, it was proposed in France to have St 
Domingo restored to the French Government, and much 
discussion was thereupon entered into in public as to the 
feasibility of the plan. 

No sooner did an intimation of this reach the blacks in 
St Domingo, than each chief notified the French authorities 



PETION'S RULE. 161 

that no attempt of any kind would be permitted to be made 
on the island; each authority proceeding to increase its 
means of defence. 

The French Government, however, having hopes of the 
accomplishment of this object by diplomacy, if not by force, 
sent out, in 1814, three commissioners to report upon the 
state of affairs in St Domingo, and the feeling of its chiefs 
and people for the project. 

These stationed themselves in Jamaica, from whence they 
attempted to carry on negotiations with Petion and Cris- 
tophe individually, and seduce them to their interest. 

Further communications from the commissioners were 
laid, both by Cristophe and Petion, before their councils, 
and the representatives of France were even invited to the 
island. The propositions in both cases were utterly refused, 
and in the case of Petion, with this refusal to recognise the 
demands of France, a proposition was made that indemnity 
would be paid for the losses with which the French planters 
had undoubtedly met in their departure from the island. 
Bonaparte's return from Elba put an end to all these 
negotiations. 

Petion, although much beloved by his people, seems to 
have been too mild and gentle a man to rule over such a 
peculiar population ; and the inhabitants, especially the 
cultivators, had, under him, sunk into such a state of idle- 
ness and sloth, that the island suffered much in its com- 
merce and products — so much so, that the revenue was not 
sufficient to meet the expenses of government. To increase 
the difficulty. Potion had issued an immense amount of 
debased silver coin, which eventually only added to the 
distress. 

Petion, who had been appointed President for life, with 
power to name his successor, was so overcome, it is said, 
with chagrin and sadness at the fate of his republic, that 
he gradually pined away, and died in March 1818, naming 
Boyer as his successor. 



162 SANTO DOMINGO. 

Cristoplie, Emperor of the north, was still living, and 
pursuing a very different policy from that of Petion. Under- 
standing full well the nature of his subjects, he had issued 
the strictest orders compelling every man to work, and 
punishing with the utmost severity idlers and vagabonds. 
To see that these rules were complied with, his subordinates 
not only were compelled to make inspection of the planta- 
tions in their districts, but Cristophe himself rode in person 
at various times in various places to see that his orders were 
executed. The consequence was, that the whole of that 
part of the island was in a flourishing state ; the revenues 
were immense, commerce was assured ; and doubtless, had 
the Emperor had a little more judgment and humanity, 
with a longer life, he would have been just the man to show 
of what his people and the Island of Hayti were capable. 

While there was no end to his pride, ambition, and love 
of display, he had the good sense to gather around him 
educated, intelligent men, some of whom were Europeans, 
by whom he could profit in the rule of his country; he had 
even the ambitious project of buying up the Spanish end 
of the island, negotiations for which he had already entered 
into it is said. 

Unfortunately, as he had grown in power, he had more 
than increased in despotism and cruelty ; and if we believe 
the stories related of him, he eventually became one of the 
greatest of human monsters. 

Finally, to such an extent did he carry his exactions, his 
punishments, and his tyrannies, that his subjects rose 
against him, and the troops joining them, his power fast 
slipped away from him, when, in October 1820, being 
attacked almost in his very palace by his own guard, he put 
an end to his own life. 

General Boyer, who had succeeded Petion, availing him- 
self of the confusion created by the death of Cristophe, 
pushed forward to the province of the north, and the people 
throuf^hout that district receiving: him with acclamations 



UNITED REPUBLIC. 163 

and joy, the whole of the western part became united under 
him into one government called the Republic of Hayti, of 
which he was made President. 

In order to ensure the tranquillity of the island, changes 
were made in the disposition of the northern troops, they 
being exchanged for those of the south; all titles were 
abolished, and those generals who had. revolted against 
Cristophe were rewarded by commands in other parts 
of the island. 

Hardly had this new Government of the west been 
organised, than overtures were made by some of the 
inhabitants of the east to recognise the rule of the Hay 
tian republic, and a deputation for this purpose waited 
on Boyer at Port-au-Prince, and tendered him the allegi- 
ance of the Spanish part; for in this part, at this time, 
there were a great many of the Haytians who were living 
there, cultivating the ground, and, with the resident 
coloured people, formed the largest portion of it. Perhaps 
tired of the disputes between the ambitious leaders of the 
French and Spaniards, and Spaniards and Dominicans, 
the mass of the people longed, as they do to-day, for a 
stable form of government that would secure them in 
their peaceful labours and its results ; and in this feeling 
the entire population of the country, of whatever colour, 
shared. 

Boyer, therefore, no sooner received intimation of this 
state of things, than he began to march a force towards 
the Spanish frontiers, immediately following with his 
staff, the whole as they advanced being received in the 
most enthusiastic manner by the populace. 

President Boyer made a peaceful entr}^ into the city of 
St Domingo ; and thus the beginning of the year 1822 saw 
the whole of the island, from Cape Tiburon to Cape 
Samana, in possession of one Government, the Republic 
of Hayti, under whose rule it was to remain for upwards of 
twenty-two years. 



164 



SANTO DOMINGO. 




Boyer. 



As Boyer presided over this republic for many years, it 

may not be amiss to 
give a few particulars 
concerning him. 

Jean Pierre Boyer 
was a dark mulatto, 
a native of Port-au- 
Prince, and, at the 
time of his elevation 
to the presidency of 
the republic, was about 
forty-eight years of 
age. His father was 
a tailor ; and his 
mother, a Congo ne- 
gress, had been a slave. 
He himself, after taking part in the early troubles on 
the side of the French, had retired with Eigaud to France, 
from whence he returned with Le Clerc in his expedition, 
but joined subsequently Petion, to whom he served as 
aide-de-camp, finally being appointed his successor, after 
having served in various grades. 

He was below the middle size, with a feeble constitution, 
and was extremely fond of display and ornament, taking 
great pride in showing himself on Sundays at the head of 
his troops in full dress. 

In his government of the new republic, Boyer was very 
far from displaying that judgment and wisdom that had 
marked the rule of Toussaint ; and, so far from profiting 
by the example set him by Cristophe, the good results of 
which had been patent to the whole island, in making the 
culture of the land and general agriculture the basis of a 
solid wealth and progress for the island, he seems rather 
to have followed the weak example of Petion in permit- 
ting the entire population to sink into a state of idleness, 
ignorance, and licentiousness. 



NEGOTIATIONS WITH FRANCE, 165 

No effort was made to enforce the cultivation of land ; 
and even the influence that might have been spread 
around by the working of the public domain, which was 
considerable, was lost, the President turning his attention 
more particularly to the working of the mines in the island. 
This not proving profitable, and the revenues of the island 
falling short of the expenses, he also had recourse to the 
issuing of debased coin ; and of such a poor nature was 
this, that it is stated the counterfeit was better than the 
real, having more silver in it. 

But Boyer probably showed his want of wisdom more 
forcibly by his action towards the French Grovernment. 

Although the island was now united under one govern- 
ment, under the flag of the name of the Republic of Hayti, 
it had not been able to take its place in any way among 
the body of nations, not one single country having recog- 
nised it as having a distinct organisation ; even the South 
American State of Colombia, which almost owed its exist- 
ence to the aid it had received from St Domingo, had not 
even recognised its sister republic. 

Although, again, this independence of the island from 
the French had been maintained since January 1804, 
without any positive denial on the part of France to this 
assumption, yet now, in 1824, Boyer saw fit to send an 
embassy to Paris, to ask the recognition from the French 
of a fact that for years had been tacitly conceded by them 
— the independence of Hayti. 

For this recognition the commissioners were empowered 
to offer a pecuniary consideration of 100,000,000 francs ; 
but this was promptly refused, the French Cabinet, it is 
presumed, being wise enough to think, that if Hayti herself 
recognised the claim of France to her soil, the latter would 
be unwise to yield* it. 

Some privileges conceded to an English company for 
the working of the mines decided the Government of 
France to send out to Hayti an expedition for the purpose 



166 SANTO DOMINGO. 

of making demands on account of the above gonceded 
claim. 

This expedition consisted of a fleet of vessels of fourteen 
sail, and is said to have been prepared either for peace or 
war, in case these demands were not acceded to. 

These were placed in the hands of Baron Mackau, 
an officer of the French navy, who was authorised to carry 
on the negotiations on the part of the French King. 

The arrival of this fleet ofp the city of Port-au-Prince, 
it is stated, excited terror and consternation ; the object it 
had in view was unknown, and fears were immediately 
entertained for the safety of the city, which was in an 
almost defenceless condition. 

The account given of the behaviour of Boyer himself on 
this occasion is not very flattering, nor does it tend to 
elevate one's ideas of his courage and decision ; but on 
hearing that the object of the mission was peaceable, he 
prepared to enter into negotiations with Mackau ; and after 
several interviews and much discussion, an ordonnance 
offered by the French was finally accepted by Ingenac, 
secretary-general, on the part of the republic. By this 
document it was prescribed that Hayti, in case the several 
clauses contained therein were not complied with, should 
become a colony of France. 

As this transaction has lately created some discussion 

as to its bearing on the Dominican part of the island, it 

may be as well to give a synopsis of what the treaty 

was. 

ft 

This document was dated Paris, 17th April 1825, and 
signed by the King, Charles the Tenth, setting forth that 
the ports in the French part of St Domingo shall be open 
to the commerce of all nations; that the French ships 
and merchandise shall be admitted into the French part 
on paying only half duties — exports the same ; that the 
inhabitants of the French part of St Domingo agree to pay, 
in five annual instalments, the sum of 150,000,000 francs 



RESULT OF NEGOTIATIONS. 167 

as an indemnity for the losses of the ancient colonists ; and 
that when the conditions of this ordonnance are fulfilled, 
the French part of St Domingo is declared independent. 

This document, therefore, ceded to France a right which 
had been strictly forbidden in the original constitution of 
the government of liayti, and which says, '' I^ever again 
shall a colonist or a European set his foot upon this ter- 
ritory with the title of master or proprietor." 

To President Boyer, therefore, belongs the odium of this 
transaction, which saddled the island with an immense debt, 
that it has found difficult to liquidate, and which has, un- 
doubtedly, had the effect of interfering with its material 
progress, as to this day the debt remains unpaid. 

The joy, however, at the settlement of this negotiation 
was, it is said, confined solely to the town of Port-au- 
Prince ; in fact, in the other portions of the island, the 
people were so exasperated that a revolution was threatened, 
and only prevented by the prompt movement of troops to 
the disaffected localities. Boyer, however, called upon 
the legislative body to sanction his action with France, 
and the measure, under pressure, was approved without 
debate ; the assumption of the debt to France being con- 
ceded as an affair of importance to the national honour and 
credit. 

In addition to the money advantage ceded to France by 
the treaty, there were accorded to her also special privileges 
of commerce, freedom of duties, &c., that caused great 
discontent. 

Every effort was made by the Government to raise money 
for immediate payment by a loan from the people ; but in 
this it was frustrated, the people vowing they would never 
contribute a cent ; the inhabitants of the Spanish part flatly 
refused to be taxed in any way to contribute to this claims 
maintaining that they had never belonged to France. 

Many of the most prominent and intelligent of the 
Haytians protested against the treaty, affirming that it 



168 SANTO DOMINGO. 

wad not binding upon the island, and that even the action 
of the Legislative Assembly recognising the tribute to the 
French as a national debt was not binding upon the people : 
for they had gained their independence by an immense 
struggle, and supported it at the expense of great bloodshed : 
in addition to which, the independence of the island from 
France had now been maintained for the period of twenty- 
one years, which gave them an undoubted title to it. 

In addition to the treaty made public, there was also an 
additional treaty, kept secret, by which the sum of 30,000,000 
of francs was to be paid for the fortifications and public 
edifices ; and of this tribute the sum of 60,000,000 was 
really paid in coffee and money before the end of the year 
1828. 

'At this time, such was the condition of the finances of the 
island, that in default of the payments then due to France, 
it became necessary to declare the Grovernment of the island 
bankrupt, and all payments were discontinued. 

Louis Philippe having succeeded to the throne of France, 
finding, in 1838, it was impossible to secure the treaty of 
1825, entered into fresh negotiations with Boyer, result- 
ing in a treaty which reduced the debt to the sum of 
60,000,000 francs, and this has again been reduced by sub- 
sequent payments, though the period named (1867) for its 
entire extinction ha;s since arrived without the Haytians 
being able to comply. 

There were other indebtednesses entered into by Boyer 
with private firms in France, which have caused great 
trouble, and involved the country in debt which it has 
been unable to liquidate. 

Nevertheless, on the final settling of the terms of the 
ordonnance^ the independence of Hayti was celebrated, 
11th July, with much rejoicing and display in the city of 
Port-au-Prince, the French officers being feted and dined. 
This affair remained a source of trouble for a long time 
after, as in France, before the treaty was formally con- 



DEFECTIVE LEGISLATION. 169 

summated, there was much discussion and demand on the 
part of the Government, and the loan with which to pay 
the first instalment of the treaty had to he raised in France 
on the most exorbitant terms ; in fact, so ridiculous was 
the nature of these, that at the time, it is said, the 
" Haytian loan " was a subject of ridicule among the 
mercantile community. 

^ On Boyer's accession to the government of the entire 
island, it had been hoped that such rules and regulations 
would have been made by him as would advance its material 
interests ; these, however, he appears to have neglected, 
until, finding matters were so rapidly growing worse from 
the laxity with which the mass of the people were governed, 
a law was put in force compelling the labourers to remain 
on the plantations, and to labour at least five days in the 
week. 

It was found necessary even, to carry out this law, to 
place armed guards to enforce it upon the plantations ; but 
this would seem to apply to the military only, or those in 
authority : it being stated that on the plantation of the 
President himself the soldiers were used to drive the negroes 
to work at the point of the bayonet or the sword. 

Such, was the result of this laxity in enforcing laws on 
the part of Boyer, that even the people of the north, who, 
under Cristophe, had been driven into regular habits of 
labour, were so demoralised during Boyer's rule, by the 
example of vice and idleness set by those of the south, that 
there was no longer any systematic culture on the island, 
the principal part of the population simply growing enough 
fruits and vegetables to give them food. 

It being seen, however, that the negro would not, in his 
new state of being, work unless forced both by law and 
power so to do, resort was had to a series of laws known as 
the '' Code Rural," which was passed by the Chamber of 
Communes on the 21st April 1826; and on the 1st May, at 
the agricultural fete annually celebrated in the island, 



170 SANTO DOMINGO. 

these laws were made known to the populace, by whom 
they were received with very little satisfaction. In fact, 
though there can be no question of the good they were in- 
tended to do, and would do, the whole code is simply a strong 
illustration of power used to force unwilling labourers to 
work. 

There were numerous articles in the code prescribing the 
duties of non-property owners ; but their real purport was 
to declare every man who did not own land, having no 
ostensible occupation, or not occupied as a cultivator, a 
vagabond with whom the law dealt severely, placing such 
at enforced labour on the public lands. 

Boyer's rule, however, gave no satisfaction to the more 
intelligent portion of the Haytians, and many discontents 
were generated, which finally assumed the form of another 
revolution ; and in 1 843 Boyer was deposed from power by 
a political party, composed principally of the young, active, 
and ambitious men of the island, some of whom, having 
been educated abroad, really desired to see the island 
improved, while others, however, ruined by a course of 
reckless extravagance and debauchery, hoped to better 
themselves by a change. But this was effected under the 
plea that Boyer had made no advance in twenty-five years ; 
that he had not given education to the people ; that he had 
maintained the military system, which retarded the pro- 
gress of civilisation, and aided him to violate the laws. 
With the inception of this revolution came a series of 
others, the results of which are to-day seen in the wretched 
condition of this once beautiful and cultivated portion of 
St Domingo. 

Boyer's government, although lasting a long time, seems 
never to have been satisfactorily accepted by the Dominicans 
proper ; and it must be conceded his acts were in many 
cases arbitrary and despotic, and he is accused of great 
duplicity in his dealings ; as an evidence, the fact that the 
University of St Domingo, of which the people were justly 



REVOLUTION AND DISJUNCTION 171 

proud, was entirely closed and discontinued by Boyer, and 
this too after he had professed himself as being well pleased 
with it and its students ; but no sooner was he fully es- 
tablished in power than he ordered these very students, 
and many of the young men, immediately into the army — 
a course which succeeded in driving many of the white 
families from the island. 

As the result of this state of things, when the above 
revolution in Haytian affairs proper took place, it was 
quickly followed by the separation and final independence 
of the entire eastern or Spanish part of the island. But 
though the subsequent Haytian Governors lost all control 
of this part, they endeavoured to retain a portion of the 
territory, an effort that has been fruitful of discords and 
bloodshed between every succeeding power, — the land thus 
remaining as a debatable ground still in dispute ; and as it 
is one of the choicest portions of the island, it is evident 
that it will not be relinquished by either side, unless in 
the last extremity. In this district are comprised Caobas, 
Hincha, Banica, San Miguel, and San Kafael. 

The Dominicans, in 1844, seeing the state of affairs in 
the west, raised the banner of revolt, the young revolu- 
tionists having at their head a distinguished citizen, Juan 
Pablo Duarte ; and the movement being popular and suc- 
cessful, total separation from Hayti was declared, February 
_ 27, 1844. And as henceforth the two Governments re- 
mained for ever separated, I shall only refer to them again 
in my *' Present State of Santo Domingo and Hayti." 
14 



CHAPTER X. 

'' Amidst the heaven-reflecting ocean smiles 
A constellation of Elysian isles. 

The breath of ocean wanders through their vales, 
In morning breezes and in evening gales ; 
Earth from her lap perennial verdure pours, 
Ambrosial fruits, and amaranthine flowers." 



Land Ho — Arrival in the Tropics — First Sight of Land — Turk's 
Island — Salt Keys — The Haytian Shore — The Dominican 
Coast — Arrival off Puerto Plata — Lis Harbour — Funny 
Method of going Ashore — A Night Visit — Historical Notes of 
the Toum — Its Bay — Situation — Trade — People. 

AN the morning of the sixth day out from New York, all 
^ hands were called on deck, just as day was breaking, 
to catch the first glimpse of land, which proved to be, on 
nearer approach, the famed repository of salt, Turk's Island, 
appearing a barren, place enough, though valuable to the 
English as a salt-mine. 

We were now really within the tropics, and enjoying the 
balminess of air peculiar to these latitudes, an enjoyment 
the greater when experienced from the deck of a comfort- 
able steamer in the exhilarating atmosphere of a breezy 
early morning. 

Our next sight of land is strange indeed, being the view 
of some low-lying sandy islands, which at first appear one 
long strip of hummocked land, but which resolves itself 
finally into the place known as Salt Keys, also famous 
for its saltj^the few houses scattered over it being the 



HAYTIAN COAST. 



173 



m\ 



ii|ii 



i 

iii 

1 i 



i 



dwellings of tlie sparse population 
who spend their existence, in what is 
almost a desert island, in procuring 
this necessity to life for their more 
favoured brethren in various parts of 
the world. 

But as the day grows older we come 
in sight of Hayti itself, running down 
whose coast we soon have before us its 
higher mountain peaks ; and, as we 
stand closer in, there comes rapidly 
into view the bold mountain shore of 
the Dominican portion, of which it 
is hard to conceive anything more 
picturesque and beautiful as one ap- 
proaches it from the sea. Vast ranges 
of verdure-clad mountains stretch 
away diagonally from the sea, the 
spaces between them forming most 
lovely valleys and savannas, all, as 
we see them, teeming with vegetation, 
for not a sign do we see of abrupt or 
barren shores, or rocky cliiFs. Every- 
thing is picture-like, even to the sandy 
beach upon which breaks the deep 
blue sea, forming as it falls into foam 
a belt of almost silver surf. 

Then came historic headlands, 
familiar to the readers of Irving's 
Columbus, and finally the prominent 
point, Cape Isabella, that marks the 
spot where Columbus established the 
first Christian settlement in the New 
World, the now almost unrecognisable 
site of Isabella. 

Finally we come in sight of the 



174 SANTO DOMINGO. 

hills of Puerto Plata (silver port), marked by the most 
prominent peak on the north coast, known as Pico (peak) 
Isabella, or, as it is sometimes called, the " saddle," from 
its peculiar shape. The storm clouds, though, are now 
rolling their vapoury masses from its peak nearly 3000 
feet high, the effect being wonderfully grand and majestic. 
Such is the perfect deliciousness of the weather at sea in 
this climate, that it seems almost a pity to reach the 
'^promised land," were it not that it appears, as we draw 
near, almost to verify at this distance those lines of 
the " Emigrant Song," a place — 

*' To rear new homes amid trees that glow 
As if gems were the fruitage of every bough : 
Round the white walls to train the vine, 
And sit in its shadow at the day's decline, 
And watch the flocks as they roam at will 
O'er the green savannas so broad and still." 

But truly " all is not gold that glitters," as we find on 
closer acquaintance with this really wonderful domain and 
its peculiar inhabitants ; for here it might truly be said 
that the aspect of nature is beautiful and grand, and, seen 
in all its magnificence of luxuriant tropical vegetation, 
that reaches to the very mountain peaks, is the place where 
apply those hymn lines so familiar to us all — 

*' Where every prospect pleases, and only man is vile." 

At five o'clock in the afternoon we are directly off the 
harbour of the town ; and, without waiting to take a pilot, 
the staunch little steamer goes rapidly in through the 
narrow and somewhat shallow channel, the surf rolling 
gently on the sandbars and shoals that are on each side of 
the harbour, and we quickly come to anchor some distance 
from the shore. 

The bay contained several German vessels, that had lain 
there for nearly eight months on account of the war 
between France and Germany. They came out for cargoes 



PUERTO PLATA. 



175 




Going ashore. 



of tobacco, of which the Germans have an almost exclusive 
monopoly in the Island of St Domingo. 

The harbom^ is one of the most picturesque in the island, 
though not by any means one of the best ; for the shore 
shelves so gradually, that 
vessels have to anchor at 
some distance, and even 
small boats cannot land 
their passengers, who are 
compelled to mount upon 
the backs of the stalwart 
negro boatmen and be 
carried ashore — a ludicrous 
sight indeed. 

Vessels are loaded by 
large lighters, and these 
again from small ox- carts, 
which bring their loads from the shore through the shallow 
water, such a 
thing as a dock 
or wharf when we 
nrst arrived being 
unknown ; but a 
temporary frame 
wharf was after- 
wards erected, 
but only for land- 
ing purposes. 

The change from daylight to dark is very rapid in this 
climate, as there is no twilight, and darkness found us 
preparing to make our first visit to Dominican soil. It 
did not look very promising for a first attempt, as there is 
no lighting of town streets, and we were told they were 
filled with mud. Still we had one distinguished gentleman 
aboard, who, in his desire to taste tropical fruit, could not 
control his impatience until morning; and so a party of uSj 




Loading Cargo 



176 SANTO DOMINGO. 

with pants tucked in our boots, go, via small boat and 
negro-back, to explore the town. 

shades of Cuba! poetic dreams of fairy tropic 
lands ! where now are all thy realisations ? Or is this, our 
first introduction to Dominican scenes, a fair sample of 
what we may expect in all St Domingo ? God forbid ! for 
in the gloom of night we find mud and filth, narrow 
streets shrouded in darkness, swarthy faces, and very, 
very humble habitations. 

The town of Puerto Plata, like the few towns still left in 
the Island of St Domingo, is a very old town indeed, as far 
as its location is concerned, for the buildings were utterly 
destroyed by the Spaniards when they evacuated the island 
in 1865. The town, however, has been rebuilt after a 
fashion, with moderate-sized houses of wood, and in the 
outskirts with small cabins made of strips of the palm and 
withes, and roofed with thatch. That it had at one time 
been a place of very great importance and solid structures, 
is evident from the ruins of many of the warehouses and 
buildings still standing, which are composed of stone and 
the material of the country known as '^ mamposteria," a 
sort of concrete. 

As far back as 1499 the town is spoken of as a flourishing 
place, and it is even said that Columbus, in one of his later 
voyages, himself traced the plan of the town, which was 
afterwards, in 1502, constructed by the orders of Ovando 
the Governor, who, in order to connect it with the interior, 
built a fine road, upon which he expended large sums of 
money, being afterwards reproached therefor, as having 
committed a useless piece of extravagance. No actual vestige 
of this road remains. 

In those days it was a lively place, being the port at 
which were embarked the products of the mines and the 
sugar from Santiago and La Vega — the Spanish merchant- 
men coming here in great numbers for cargoes. The port 
was originally discovered by Columbus in his first voyage, 



PUERTO PLATA. 



Ill 



and being overlooked by the high mountain already alluded 
to, the top of which appeared at sea so white to the 
Spaniards, they thought it covered with snow, as it glistened 
like snow or silver. Being undeceived as to the snow, they 
called the port, from this circumstance. Silver Port (Puerto 
de Plata). 

In 1543 the place was attacked by privateers, which 
seemed to be the commencement of its decay, and in 1606 
it was one of those ports mentioned in the history of the 
island as being destroyed by order of the Spanish Govern- 
ment, in order to stop the illicit traffic with other nations. 
It figures in history as the place where, in 1669, Delisle 
landed to commence his attack on Santiago ; and in 1756 
it was one of those towns that shared with Monte Cristo in 
the free commerce accorded to some of the ports. From that 




street in Puerto Plata. 



time to the present it has suffered various successes and 
reverses. After 1822 it was a flourishing place, possessing 
handsome houses and stores, ruins of which are yet seen. 



178 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



The streets were paved, and on the hills surrounding the 
town were a great many very well conducted coifee estates. 

The region in which the town is located has always been 
noted as having abundance of gold and silver. 

Puerto Plata is to-day, however, a very irregularly built 
town, most of the houses being constructed of wood, usually 
two stories in height, with balconies on the second floor ; 
and the principal of these, as well as the storehouses, are 
placed in parallel streets that run directly down from the 
hills to the waters of the bay. These streets are narrow and 
badly paved, but the natural location of the town is a very 
advantageous one, affording ample space for the develop- 
ment of a large city. 

The land rises gently up from the shore to some moderate 
hills beyond the town, and these again are backed by the 
mountains, the whole spot being fully open to the breezes 
from the northern sea, while it is also open to the free 
transmission of the land breezes, which cool the air during 
the hot hours of the day. 




The Old Fort. 



The town itself is prettily situated on tiie side of a high 



POUT OF PUERTO PLATA. 179 

mountain running gradually to the sea, the shore forming 
almost a crescent-shaped bay, to the right of which projects 
a small peninsula almost like an island, forming the most 
romantic feature in the town and harbour ; for on it is the 
'••'fortress" (?), a series of dilapidated stone buildings and 
works built ages and ages ago for protection to the town 
Now they are dismantled, crumbling ruins, overgrown with 
moss and vines and grass, and form as pretty a study of 
ruins as any artist could desire. They still, however, pro- 
fess to be the protection to the port ; and to strengthen this 
idea, there are about twelve men and one musket, to say 
nothing of several rusty pieces of ordnance that cannot be 
fired, all left there as an established Dominican military (?) 
post. 

The actual port of Puerto Plata, though not by any means 
the best in the island, is capable of being made into a very 
important harbour. The entrance is not very good, owing 
to the bars on each side, on which the sea always makes a 
heavy surf. 

It faces exactly north, and a vessel must, in entering, keep 
very close to the point of the breakers, near the old fort, 
on the eastern side. The bottom has about three fathoms 
of water at entering, but shallows very quickly ; and large 
deposits of mud, it is said, are brought down by the two 
rivers that empty into the bay ; but there is anchorage in 
places seven fathoms deep. 

This anchorage is usually good and safe, having once 
passed the reefs at the entrance, though the squalls from 
the north and north-west are occasionally felt. 

During the rainy, season the rivers above mentioned cause 
a strong outset ; and at this period one of them (the St 
Mark), in the west part of the harbour, is open for boats, 
and is the best watering-place. 

In winter the wind from the E.N.E. comes in about nine 
A.M., and continues until near sunset, when a moderate land 
wind comes off from the south-east; but the northers seldom 



180 SANTO DOMINGO. 

blow strong into this port. The best loading season here 
begins when it is ended on the other side. 

The port of Puerto Plata is the most active one on the 
Island of St Domingo ; in fact, it constitutes, with the 
capital, the only places worthy of that name ; and here is 
done the principal Commerce of the island. 

This is almost exclusively confined to the foreign mer- 
chants, the majority of whom are G-ermans, who have the 
entire monopoly of the tobacco trade of the region of the 
'' Vega Peal," which is almost the exclusive seat of its 
culture, having for the capital of the district the town of 
Santiago, the first in importance in the island. 

This business of tobacco gives rise and life to the entire 
trade of the town of Puerto Plata. Without it there would 
be nothing for the storekeepers, as there is in this vicinity 
no agriculture other than the growing of a few fruits in a 
shiftless sort of way. There is also the shipping of ma- 
hogany and other woods, the loading of which, however, 
generally takes place at the mouths of various creeks and 
rivers, or in the bays along the coast. 

The population of Puerto Plata is variously estimated at 
from two to three thousand inhabitants, mostly ^^ people of 
colour," which may mean jet-black African, mulatto, or not 
pure white. This name, however, is never bestowed on a 
Dominican if possible, as they are very ^'touchy" on this 
subject, all being equally citizens. 

It may be as well here to explain the meaning of the 
terms applied in the Spanish islands to the different colours 
of the people. 

Creole is a descendant of Europeans settled in America. 

Mulattoes, or the offspring of Europeans and negroes. 

Mestizos, or the offspring of Europeans and Indians. 

Negroes, the pure African. 

Of this population, the whites and mulattoes are the 
storekeepers and tradesmen in the town, and the blacks 
and mestizos are the labourers about warehouses, ships, &c. 



DOMINICAN AMERICANS. 



1ST 



Here in Puerto Plata there are a large number of negroes 
from the English islands Nassau, St Thomas, Jamaica, 
&c. , most of them speaking English quite well ; in fact, a 
large number of the coloured people speak some little of two 
or three languages. 

I was struck by the free, frank, and manly way in which 
these men look and speak, evidently showing they feel their 
importance as freemen — very different from the same class 
in Cuba. 

The women earn their living principally by washing 
clothes ; and, as a smart Nassau negro told me, did better 
and worked harder than 
the men. Those who 
came out from America 
appear particularly intel- 
ligent, retaining all the 
habits of neatness peculiar 
to our best coloured people. 
Some of them, in their 
towering high bandana 
head and gay coloured 
striped dresses, were 
models in this way. How- 
ever, in conversation with 
many of these people, I 
learned they were all will- 
ing to work, and work 
steadily, if they got pay ; 
many of them were per- 
fectly willing to go upon 
the farms in the vicinity 
and perform agricultural labours, provided they were sure 
of pay ; but there is no general agriculture, and those 
engaged in it are of limited means, and cannot afford to 
employ labourers. 

Plenty of labour can be had at from |1 to $3 per day. 




Dominican American. 



182 SANTO DOMINGO. 

according to length of time, and by the month all are will- 
ing to work for $10 and $12. I found a good man}^ negroes 
from the United States, who came out in the great emi- 
gration scheme some forty years ago. They appear intel- 
ligent, industrious, and tolerably well-to-do. 

The society of Puerto Plata is very limited indeed, being 
confined to a very few families, and these mostly foreigners ; 
and their homes, with one or two exceptions, are one-storied 
frame-houses of three or four rooms. 

The prevailing religion of the people is Roman Catholic, 
but there is a Methodist church established, and freedom of 
worship is supposed to exist : and, perhaps, does to a cer- 
tain extent ; but my experience in trying to leave the town 
made me aware that '^ church holidays " are strictly en- 
forced, the stores being closed and all traffic ceasing, and 
1 could not even hire a negro to carry my luggage until he 
had obtained permission of the authorities, the reason given 
being it was " dia de fiesta." 

First impressions, it is said, are always best, but this 
was not my experience of Puerto Plata, for the place im- 
proved much on acquaintance, and I spent many days 
there pleasantly enough, though there was that which, at 
iirst sight, astonished and even disgusted me. 

Bright and early in the morning, which is always the 
most charming part of the day in the tropics, our party 
sallied out sight-seeing. The weather was like a day 
in early June — crisp and fresh, and everything green and 
bright ; and the town appeared to better advantage than on 
the previous night; but the streets, mostly unpaved, were 
filled with mud and filth. We first went to the " Plaza 
Mercado " or market-square, and a more ridiculous sight 
cannot be imagined ; for here, in a space about one-fourth 
of an acre, was held the daily market. A few rude booths, 
made of thatch and poles, composed the butchers' stalls, in 
which were exposed fearful specimens of various meats. 
Around the square were seated groups of women and chil- 



MARKET. 



183 



dren, with cloths spread upon the ground, upon which were 
displayed the various fruits in limited quantities, herbs. 




Market Square. 

salad, eggs, six to eight in a lot, peas by the cupful^ &c., 
&c. 

This was our first opportunity of seeing the native 
Dominican chocolate, which is prepared by the country 
people, and sold in small flat cakes of a quarter or half 
pound each. 

As thus prepared, it has not a very attractive appear- 
ance ; for so rudely is it manufactured, that the broma or 
natural oil of the fruit gives the cakes a very greasy appear- 
ance and dark colour. 

Most of that Idold at Puerto Plata comes from the little 
village to which the fruit gives its name (Cacao), a short 
distance from the town on the river San Juan, many of 
these country people coming miles along the coast road 



184 



SAJ^TO DOMINGO. 



with nothing else but this, in small quantities, and a few 
bananas, to sell. 

Thence we strolled to the outskirts of the town, and so 
on to the small river from which the carriers get the 
water with which the towns-folk are supplied. A sudden 
turn in the road displayed to the astonished gaze of most 
of our party forty or fifty women of various ages, in various 




Washing Clothes. 

positions in the river, washing clothes. Some were entirely 
nude, some with only a waist-cloth, but all industriously 
washing away and chattering like parrots. Our stopping 
to look was the occasion of much merriment and chaffing, 
increased by the vigorous screams of a nude old beldame 
of " Yaya ! vaya ! " (go away), which we presently did. 

Finding ourselves at a small ^^ tienda mista " (notion 
store), with country garden attached, I engaged the pro- 
prietor in conversation^ while he kindly took us through 



TOBACCO. 185 



liis place, knocked the wild, the sweet, and the bitter 
oranges from the trees for us ; showed us the chayote, the 
mango, the caimito, bread-fruit, yuca, from which cassava 
bread is made ; the banana in its various forms, under the 
general name of platano ; the shaddock ; the calabash, from 
which they make their bowls and caps; the various kinds 
of palm, including the cocoa, and manj^ other fruits and 
23lants, all growing almost without culture in a little place 
of an acre or two ; and, to use his expression, " It is their 
nature — they grow themselves." 

Amidst mud and mire, in front of this place, stretched 
the '' Camino Real " (royal road, in name only), that runs 
into the interior to the large town of Santiago in La Yega, 
one day's journey from Puerto Plata. Upon this road that 
day, I think, there must have passed at least two hundred 
mules and horses, each carrying two bales or ceroons of 
tobacco, of about one hundred and twenty-five pounds each; 
and as this was the beginning of the tobacco harvest, we 
were told it was a daily occurrence. 

The Dominican tobacco cannot be said to be first-rate, 
any of it; much of it is very inferior, and all of it is 
'' flojo " (weak), as they say here. But this arises not 
from any lack of merit in the soil to grow it, but simply 
from want of attention and knowledge on the part of 
the cultivators, very different from their Cuban brethren, 
who spend whole nights watching their plants for the 
worm, or carefully trimming the plant at the proper 
time, and by other cares and precautions bringing it 
to perfection. 

The work-horses here are many of them as small as the 
mule, while none are larger than the ordinary-sized mule 
with us. Some of those that bring down the tobacco are 
not larger than a small pony, yet are well proportioned 
and clean limbed, and withal very wiry and tough, which 
they need to be from the cruel treatment they receive, 
many of them being completely used-up in their journeys. 
15 



186 



SAXTO DOMIXGO. 




Horse. 



A sad lot tliey are. as one sees rliem. sore-backed and 

covered with mud, rest- 
ing before the warelionses. 
The price for a good horse 
is nsnallv abont $40 : bnt 
I was amused, in addi'ess- 
ing several horsemen the 
question. •• Horse for 
sale ? " to hear them 
say invariably, " Yes. 
senor — .$100." 

The water of the little 
stream that suj^plies the 
town is like that of all 
the rivers of St Domingo, clear and cold, and very pleasant 

to the taste ; btit 
although it is lime- 
stone water, it is 
considered to be 
very wholesome. 

This is brought 
into the tcwn bv 
water-carriers.who, 
each possessed of 
a small donkey. 
swiuo- a laro-e cask 
on each side of the 
animal, and then, 
mounting on the 
back, belabom- the 
poor brute intc- 
town, thus carrying the water from door to door. 

Puerto Plata is, considered a very healthy place, as, in 
fact, the whole island seems to be : the only thing they 
suffer from being the bilious and intermittent fevers which 
sometimes prevail, and of which we have so much in the 




Water-carrier. 



CUSTOMS. * 18i 



United States. K it is not healthy the people there should 
not complain, considering the way they live and the con- 
dition in which they keep their roads, streets, and dwell- 
ings ; but they uniformly pronounce it perfectly healthy, 
even in the rainy season, which, on this side of the island, 
occurs in about the months of December, January, and 
February ; though this year, it is said, more rain has fallen 
than for the past ^yq years. 

I find that all the coloured people that came from the 
United States like this climate, and would not care to go 
back, except temporarily to see '' home." The people are 
all taking an interest in the United States, and many are 
trying already to learn English, for which purpose a night- 
school has been established in Puerto Plata, which is well 
attended. 

Having finished up pretty well sight-seeing in the town 
and vicinity, we adjourned at twelve o'clock precisely to 
the French hotel for breakfast, this being the regular hour 
for that meal, the habits of the people being adapted to the 
nature of the climate. They rise early, five or six o'clock, 
have a cup of chocolate or coffee and a roll and some fruit, 
and then go about their affaii's until twelve o'clock, the 
breakfast hour, followed by the siesta until two; then busi- 
ness again from two till four ; after which, at six o'clock, 
is the dinner. It is the custom for those who have horses, 
at this hour of the day, to take their ^' paseo " on horse- 
back, the evening hours being usually delightfully fresh for 
such exercise on their easy-going horses. I noticed that 
in many of the habitations the hammock is used in lieu of 
bed, being made either of grass or canvas. The nearest 
approach to a bed, except in the better class of houses, is 
an ordinary cot with pillow and sheet. 

The traveller having no acquaintances in the town 
fares rather badly for hotel accommodations, for there are 
only two establishments that have the slightest claim to 
the name. One of these, kept by a German, Emil, has 



188 SANTO DOMINGO. 

only two or three rooms ; and the other, kept by a French- 
man, about the same ; the table is, however, very fair. 

We had here our first insight into the motives that have 
induced these people to express a desire for annexation to 
the United States ; for a party of us called to pay our 
respects to the Grovernment officer of this district, known 
as the Administrator of Public Property, who has a very 
charming residence on the borders of the sea, and who 
received us with the utmost courtesy. Though he spoke 
no English, he was very ready to converse in Spanish. As 
Minister of Public Property, he informed me that the 
principal domain of the Government was in the ports, bays, 
and sea-coast towns of the island ; that in the interior 
there was no certainty as to the quantity of Government 
lands, as they were mostly held in private right, but that 
in each sea-port town there were valuable tracts belonging 
to the Government ; that none of this property would be 
sold at any price pending the question of annexation, for 
since it was first broached, two years ago, an order had 
been issued to that effect ; nevertheless, the Government 
was perfectly willing to lease any of its property for two, 
three, or five years, or even, in an extreme case, where a 
bona fide purchaser desired to make a home for himself, the 
" Ayuntamiento '\(town council) was authorised to give a 
deed of such site. 

It seemed strange to us, coming from a populous country, 
where land in any desirable place commands such a high 
price, to find here that town lots are and can be bought for 
two or three hundred dollars ; that within a mile of the 
western gate of the principal city 150 acres of desirable 
land has been sold for $600. Upon this land cocoa-nuts 
enough can be raised in two years to more than triple pay 
for the place. But this is the result of the terrible mill in 
which the island has been ground up, until nothing is left 
but ruined walls and magnificent earth that is valueless, 
unless the country can be repopulated with labourers. 



REASONS FOR ANNEXATION. 189 

The official spoke to me feelingly concerning the motives 
with which the Dominican authorities were influenced in 
their desire for annexation, telling me, to use his own 
words, '^ I am a Dominican, senor, and I am rich enough 
to go and live in any part of the world ; but then I would 
have no country. I have no interest at stake except the 
welfare of my beloved country. Naturally the property 
that I own here will become more valuable if the island 
goes to the United States ; but why should I be blamed for 
that ? I do not desire office ; all I want is to be sure that 
my property will be handed down to my children with cer- 
tainty; but under the present state of things there is none. 
We have no money ; we have not enough people in the 
island to make it prosperous ; we are liable to attack from 
Hayti at any moment they may have a revolution there ; 
and, therefore, for our own safety we want annexati'on. " ^ 

We w^ent through the town to examine more closely the 
stocks of merchandise in the stores, which we found were 
mostly supplied with goods from St Thomas, which, being 
a free port, is enabled to undersell all other points in this 
region. I found^ however, that a good many domestic dry 
goods could be used here to advantage. Straw hats, boots 
and shoes, hardware, agricultural implements, ice, and 
many other things, could be shipped here to advantage 
from English and American markets, if the island should 
become properly settled and governed. 

Leaving Puerto Plata, and going on board the steamer, 
we found quite a number of passengers, who were taking 
the opportunity of going to Samana and St Domingo city, 
some of them quite black, but all equal in cabin or at table. 
It was a beautiful bright afternoon as we took our depar- 
ture ; and as we ran close along the coast, with the fresh 
trade winds blowing, it was most enjoyable. The whole 
coast resolves itself into a constantly changing panorama 
of noble hills, beautiful savanas, bold headlands, charming 
curvatures of coast, with its belt of sand and surf separating . 



190 SANTO DOMINGO. 

the rich green verdure from the pure ultramarine of the 
sea. 

Shoals of flying-fish, like myriad bits of pearl, leap and 
glisten from water into sun, their peaceful sports sadly 
interrupted by the voracious dolphin, which, with its grace- 
ful form in glistening, varied colours, jumps, in its eager- 
ness, high out of water. 

No habitations are seen in the entire extent of coast, 
and only one small harbour, in which lies a vessel loading 
with mahogany logs from the adjacent hills ; and yet this 
is classic ground, for here were the abodes of over a million 
of the native Indians ; and here too, over these waters, 
sailed the grand Colon when on his way back to carry to 
the old world the fresh glad tidings of the new. 

Almost all the coast is lined with mangrove-trees, which 
are usually considered an indication of marshy soil. Some 
of these trees are so large their trunks would make a good 
sized rafter ; the bark is most useful for tanning purposes, 
but the branches are the home of myriads of mosquitoes, 
the roots being inhabited by the crab and the oyster. An 
eminent physician travelling on board the steamer, a 
gentleman familiar with every part of the globe, informed 
me that he found from experience, that wherever this tree 
grew there was always a certain amount of malaria and its 
adjunct fever prevailing. This he accounted for from the 
fact that the mangrove, flourishing in low places at the water 
side, has, if I may so describe it, its roots growing in the 
form of an inverted cage, into which the refuse vegetable, 
dead fish, and other matter is carried by the current and 
j)ermanently lodged ; and this forming a mass of decom- 
posed material, an effluvia is produced creating disease and 
pestilence. The removal of this tree from localities has 
always been accompanied by an improved sanitary condition 
of the vicinity. 

There is usually along the whole of this coast a line of 
Hurf, but .at low water some of the bars are left bare, and 



THE MAN ATI, 



191 



on these are found lobsters of extremely large size ; basins 
in tbe rocks are filled with shell and other fish, while coral 
and sea-plants are also to be had. 

In such places the voracious shark makes its home, and, 
at more rare intervals, the manati or sea-cow — before 




The Manati 



alluded to as the siren of Columbus — is found. In " Ogilvy's 
Voyages" I find a curious account of these animals when 
they were more plentiful than they are now. He describes 
it as breeding in the sea, but also as ascending rivers, 
where, going ashore, it eats grass. One of the caciques 
kept in a lake one of these strange creatures (Guayando), 



192 SANTO DOMINGO. 

which was so tame, that when called by its name, Matoom, 
it would come out of the water and go directly to the 
cacique's house, where, being fed, it returned to the lake 
accompanied by men and boys who seemed to charm the 
manati by their singing, and it often carried two children 
at a time on its back ; being once, however, struck by a 
pike in the hands of a Spaniard, it would never after come 
out of the water if there was a clothed man near. This 
particular animal, it is stated, lived twenty-six years in 
that lake. 

Those who nave seen the Frenchman and his pet seals at 
the London Zoological Gardens, will be prepared to credit 
this rather fabulous account. 

After leaving Puerto Plata the coast line tends in a 
south-easterly direction to the prominent point Old Cape 
(Francis),. a name given to it by Columbus, just around 
which is the first settlement of any importance along the 
coast, the little village of Tres Amaras. 

The country for the first twenty miles after leaving 
Puerto Plata by land, to the little bay of La Goleta, is 
quite level and singularly adapted to agriculture, there 




Cabo Viejo (Old Cape). 



GAPE GABRON. 193 



being many extremely well ordered and organised planta- 
tions, the residences of some American and German settlers, 
who only await the settlement of the affairs of the country 
to enter regularly into the production of the fruits and 
plants for which the island is famous. 

Beyond Cabo Yiego (Old Cape), almost to the peninsula 
of Samana, there is hardly a little village of any import- 
ance ; and though the road, if such it can be called, 
generally traverses the coast line, with innumerable creeks 
and lagoons to cross, the country for some distance inwards 
is quite hilly, and often rocky. At the Bay of Matanzas 
there is a small village of a few houses, where is stationed 
a small guard of Dominican soldiers from the interior town 
of Macoris ; but the road to it is so little used, it has 
become almost obliterated, and the free use of the machete 
is necessary to open a way. Beyond Matanzas, to the 
west, the country is almost entirely primeval forest ; but 
the land is low and level, and capable, if cleared, of making 
a fine agricultural country. 

Clearing Old Cape, the steamer makes a direct line 
almost to Cape Cabron or Lover's Cape, the extreme north- 
eastern part of the island, the coast line forming between 
these two points a large bight or bay, on the eastern side of 
which begins what is called the peninsula of Samana, but 
which, in fact, may be deemed an island ; for though now 
the channel of the Gran Estero is almost filled up, yet the 
authorities of the past speak of this passage as being open, 
though in the time of the early French the peninsula was 
known as " Presque Isle," while some early maps have it 
distinctly marked as an island. 

Along the whole of this north coast of Samana stretch 
the coral reefs that form the little groups of islands 
known as Los Ballaenas, Los Canas, &c., while the shore 
itself curves to the very edge of the sea in abrupt hills. 

Towering above these, at the very extreme point of Cape 
Cabron, is the landmark of the mariner, the celebrated 



194 SANTO DOMINGO. 

'^ Pilon d'Azuc" (sugar pan), which raises its verdure- 
clad peak nearly two thousand feet above the sea. 

Port Jackson, in this natural bight, is the only bay of 
any importance, and to which the natives at certain seasons 
resort for turtle. Its waters are smooth, and protected 
from the sea by a coral reef that stretches almost entirely 
across its mouth. 

Thus the whole of this coast presents to-day to our eyes 
undoubtedly the same appearance it did when Columbus, 
with his heart full of the grandness of his discovery, and 
looking forward with anxious hope to the moment when 
he should make it known to his beloved Queen Isabella, 
directed along this beautiful shore the prow of his little 
bark in the direction of the coast of Castile. 

Sailing over the same waters, amid these same scenes, it 
requires little stretch of imagination to picture at this 
vesper hour the tenor and the earnestness of the evening 
prayers of so devout a man ; for — 

" 'Twas the hour of day 
When setting suns o'er summer seas display 
A path of glory opening in the west 
To golden climes and islands of the blest, 
And human voices on the silent air 
Went o'er the waves in songs of gladness there." 



CHAPTER XI 

Long on the wave the morning mists reposed, 
Then broke, and melting into light, disclosed 
Half-circling hills, whose everlasting woods 
Sweep with their sable skirts the shadowy floods. 



Samana and the South Coast — Ca;pe Samana — Balandra Head 

— The Bay of Samana — Santa Barbara — General Accoimt 
of Samana Bay — The Caves of San Lorenzo — Savanna la Mar 

— Voyage roimd the South Coast. 

T\AY had hardly broken when, turning out on deck, I 
^ found we were just rounding Cape Samana, a bold 
high headland with apparently a terraced front, an appear- 
ance produced by its being a double cliff, the upper of 
which rises a short distance within the summit of the 
lower. The face of these cliffs appears steep and gloomy 
at this early morning hour, but an occasional gleam of 
light shows their general colour to be red, the levels of the 
terrace being covered with vegetation/ 

Although this point is considered as the beginning of 
the bay shore, with its other or southern point at Cape 
Rafael, a glance at the map will show that Samana Bay 
proper begins at the south-eastern point of the peninsula 
of Samana known as Balandra Head, of which, as day 
fairly opened, we caught our first' sight, as also of this 
noble bay. 



196 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



Balandra Head is a remarkable red cliiF lying at the 

foot of Mount Diablo, wbicb, about one and a half miles 

back, rises 1300 feet high. Between the base of Balandra 

Head, its continuous line of hills, and the 

shore, lies a most attractive sloping levee 

covered with vegetation, and which would 

be most charming sites for coffee or sugar 

estates, to say nothing of their beauty and 

value as places of marine residence for the 

inhabitants of the future immense city of 

Samana. But from this point we caught 

our first sight of the far-famed bay whose 

name is now so familiar in the United 

llllftt illT*' States. Worthy indeed of all that has 

iM|p ^M|y been said about its size and beauty, it 

' "' broke upon me as the most superb harbour 

I had ever seen, and before which even 

those large and lovely bays of the '' Ever 

Faithful Isle " (Cuba) must pale.- 

Such is the extent of this noble bay, 
that no picture, however large, could do 
justice to its appearance ; but a glance 
at the accompanying map will give my 
readers an idea of the form of this superb 
sheet of water, the coveted prize of many 
Governments. In imagination clothe the 
sides of this bay with bold high hills, vary- 
ing from 200 to 2000 feet high, from which 
slope gently to the sea charming valleys 
covered with trees and vegetation ; indent 
the shore with coves, or here and there 
small harbours, whose white sandy shores 
glisten in the tropic sun, and you have 
some idea of this beautiful bay that Columbus himself has 
named the ^' Bay of Arrows," being the place, it is said, 
where the blood of the children of the New World was first 




■|l 



/ ^ 




i ' '"""1 

ii Pill 
! Ill 1 



iiijiiiiiiiiiiJiij|i||M I 'I" 



m 



I »' '^ 




:yiiSllii:;!!lilfelif'i':ii'' 



BA Y OF CLARA. 



197 



drawn by those from the Old. Here resided the subjects of 
the cacique Cayacoa, whose widow was afterwards baptized 
in the Catholic faith as Dona Inez Cayacoa, 




Balandra Head. 

As we enter more fully the bay, we come to a point from 
which the channel resolves itself into a rather narrow 
space, with the land close at hand on one side, but shoals 
on the other that forbid all attempts at entrance there ; and 
this is the point selected for the site of the old Spanish 
fort still to be seen. 

Having cleared this passage or narrows, the channel 
widens into a noble bay called the Bay of Clara, and from 
here, in a north-westerly direction, the steamer heads for 
the now famous town of Samana, which is situated in a 
bight or bay indented in the coast, the little island of 
Carenero lying at its mouth, while other small but most 
romantic-looking islands are scattered at intervals within 
it. Looking out into the great bay between two or three of 
these, with their rich foliage, and the graceful forms of the 
cocoa and palm reflected in dark shadows in the water,, 
16 



198 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



which the glowing glory of a rising sun serves to illu- 
minate, the traveller from the north cannot help being 
impressed by the richness of the tropical climate, and he 
begins to appreciate the strong attachment these children 
of the sun have for their homes amid such scenes. 

Samana Bay proper, known also as Port Santa Barbara, 
may be more properly described as an inlet running one 
and a third miles east and west, and is one quarter to one 
half a mile wide. The north shore is formed of irregular 
hills which rise a short distance from it to a considerable 
elevation ; the head of the bay is low and swampy, the 
south side being sheltered by a reef and several keys. 

The town of Santa Barbara is at the west end of the bay 
at the base, and on the side of some hills, which are 
hidden almost from the east by a bold headland, on the 
summit of which is a small Dominican fort in a rather 
dilapidated condition. The anchorage off the little town 
is so good, that it is said a vessel may run its bowsprit 
ashore anywhere in the harbour; but there is a diversity of 




Santa Barbara. 



opinion as regards its health fulness. The town itself is a 
mere congregation of one-storied houses, some frame, but 



SAMAJ^A CITY. 199 

most of them huts constructed of the palm-leaf, in which 
the natives swing their hammocks in lieu of beds. There 
appears no commerce, and really no business, if I except 
the selling of the few fruits the country produces, the 
bananas and oranges being particularly fine. 

I had here an illustration of the facility with which '^ a 
dog is given a bad name," for my companion, having gone 
ashore to purchase some bananas, selected the very largest 
he saw. -Not speaking Spanish, and the dusky saleswoman 
not understanding English, a lively time they had together 
in their trading, much to my amusement while reclining 
in the boat. On my asking the cause of the extremely 
demonstrative proceedings, he explained to me in high 
glee that the woman wished to take advantage of him, by 
making him take the smaller bananas in place of the large 
green ones he had selected. 

Great was his disgust and chagrin at finding that he had 
obstinately refused to be honestly dealt with, since the 
fruit he had bought was only good for cooking^ while the 
smaller ones were the choicest kind for eating. 

The population is not over 800 or 1000 souls, the ma- 
jority of whom are blacks, either emigrants themselves, or 
descendants of those who came from the United States in 
Boyer's time. 

The present site of Samana city is by no means the 
best for a port, as there are many farther along the coast 
more desirable, but particularly the place mentioned in 
old writers as Point Martiniquois or Coroso, about ten miles 
farther west, where it is said the knowing ones expect to 
locate the famous city of the future. 

Here there is a fine situation, healthy air, plenty of stone 
and wood, and abundance of pure water; but the whole 
of the south coast of the peninsula forming the north side 
of the bay is desirable, having a fine level beach, and 
gently rolling hills capable of the highest cultivation. 

At the bottom of the bay, where the river Yuna enters 



200 SANTO DOMINGO. 

by its various moutlis through an extensive marsh, there 
is no desirable shore, and a bar of mud as yet renders 
navigation up that river impracticable, except to small 
boats drawing not over two feet of water. 

The mouth of this river being cleaned out, will afford a 
navigable means of access to the great valley of the Vega 
Eeal. The right to control this navigation, as well as to 
build a railroad and telegraph lines from the city pf Santiago, 
has been conceded to a private company on most liberal 
terms; grants of alternate square leagues of land on each 
side of the road, not private property, have been given, and 
permission to use the stone and timber on Government land, 
without payment, in the construction of the road and its 
repair, while all material needed on the road imported 
into the island is exempt from duty. 

From the Gran Estero, or salt marshes, at the mouth of 
the Yuna, along the south side of the bay, the shore is 
generally rough and irregular, and in many places in- 
accessible by land and sea, composed as it is of sterile 
rock ; while islets of the same are scattered at intervals 
along the coast, among which are found innumerable beds 
of oysters. 

At the end of this string of islands is the famous Bay 
of Pearls, facing to the west, and bounded on the north 
by a tongue of land ; it has good anchorage for vessels of 
the largest size. 

On the shores of this bay are the noted caves of San 
Lorenzo, which, if time permits, are well worth a visit by 
the traveller. They are similar in their formation, and 
are of the same character, as those of Bel la Mar near 
Matanzas, Cuba. 

A narrow aperture opens into a series of large and 
wonderfully formed chambers, the roofs of which, as well 
as the walls, are composed of superb stalactites, which 
reflect every colour of light, while the floors of white sand 
give a charming air of purity to the scene. 



SA VA FN A LA MA R. 201 

Savanna la Mar, a little farther east, is a small settle- 
ment of about a hundred houses, originally peopled by per- 
sons from the Canaries, at the same time as its opposite 
neighbour Samana. It is quite a small place, with a 
scattered population of about 300 souls. In order to get 
ashore, the same process is necessary as at Puerto Plata, 
by boat and negro-back, or wading. 

This village is, however, situated at the end of a plain 
of great extent, being more than thirty miles long from 
east to west, and extending some twelve miles to the 
south, where the southern range of hills separates it from 
the great plains of Seybo. All the land of this plain is 
capable of extended agriculture, though now devoted 
principally to grazing purposes, for which it is well 
adapted, being well supplied with water from some nine 
streams. This is, in fact, the only extent of land on 
this side of, and adjacent to, the Bay of Samana capable of 
culture. 

The country round Samana is comparatively unsettled. 
One sees here and there the huts of the natives, who are 
engaged principally in " killing time," varied by a slight 
stroke of manual labour in the small gardens or farms, 
upon which grows most everything of its own accord that 
can grow in a tropical country. 

The women, with precious little apparel on themselves, 
occupy their time gaining a livelihood washing for others ; 
but as household expenses are light with them, owing to 
the fact that the principal sustenance is the plantain, 
roasted or boiled, and the clothing and schooling of the 
children costs nothing, since they have neither, they (the 
people) do not need to earn a great deal, and therefore do not 
make the effort. One meets them on the borders of the 
shore with huge baskets on their heads filled with clothes, 
the only garment worn by them being a loose semi-gown, 
whilst following are members of the rising generation in 
a happy state of nature. 



202 



SANTO DOMINGO. 




The familiar doDkey, while in every part of the world a 

subject of ridicule and 
amusement, yet seems 
always to be made a 
useful servant, no matter 
how small and odd look- 
ing; and here among 
the Dominicans he is 
met with, rough, ill- 
treatedj and small, and 
yet with an immense 
pack-saddle, constructed 
Donkey. iu the rudcst manner, 

of straw or palm-leaf, placed upon his back, performing 
most of the carrying trade that is done. 

On the mainland we found the establishment of a ]N'ew 
Englander, a young man who had come out from Maine, 
and established himself in the culture of the banana fruit 
and growing of cocoa-nuts. With a small capital of some 
$2500 he has been enabled to establish himself, and feels 
so much charmed and encouraged by the climate and life 
there, that under no consideration will he leave unless an- 
nexation fails. He plants his bananas just as apples are 
planted in the North, in regular rows, and the fruit is so 
much improved by culture, that already his bananas have a 
reputation in the market. His wife, also from New 
England, is out here with him, and pronounces the 
climate the most lovely in the world, and that had she 
only society, she could desire no pleasanter place in which 
to live. 

Samana Bay, the most superb harbour in the West 
Indies, in the time of the early Spaniards does not appear 
to have interested the Spanish authorities as to its great 
importance, though the early chroniclers refer to it always 
in terms of high praise as a place where a shipping port 
for an agricultural people might be established. 



BANISTER ISLANDS. 203 

They were, however, at that time interested in the smaller 
ports of St Domingo and Puerto Plata, as places more 
convenient for the shipment of the ores from the mines, 
which at that time was the great interest of the island : 
besides, in those days, when steam was unknown, Samana, 
from a peculiarity of some of the winds that prevail in the 
bay, was not a desirable port for the ill-constructed, 
unwieldy sailing vessels of the time. 

The old writers generally agree as to the Bay of Samana 
being about sixty miles long, but they calculate the bay as 
beginning at the extreme point of the peninsula at Cape 
Samana. Modern writers, however, making their calcula- 
tions based upon various surveys, agree that, starting from 
Balandra Head to the mouth of the Yuna, the length is 
about twenty-five to thirty miles ; the width between Cape 
Samana and the southern point. Cape Rafael, being about 
twenty-one miles ; the average width of the bay proper, 
however, is only about thirteen miles. 

The actual entrance to this superb bay is, however, quite 
narrow, for there extends from the southern cape to a 
clump of rocks or islands, known by the various names of 
Rebels, Banister, and Levantados, a line of shoals or breakers. 

By this means, two channels are created, the southern 
one of which is known as Half-moon Passage (Media 
Luna), but this is only available for small vessels. 

The northern passage will admit vessels of the largest 
size, and is capable of being easily defended, as from the 
islands or rocks of the Levantados to the shore of the main- 
land the distance is little more than a mile. 

In olden times great difficulty was experienced in enter- 
ing this bay, and some very serious wrecks have occurred ; 
but now the bay is so well-known that no danger is 
experienced in making this harbour. 

Banister Islands received their names from an English- 
man turned pirate, whose vessel was attacked by two 
English frigates in 1690; but carrying his guns and crew 



204 SANTO DOMIFQO. 

ashore, Banister compelled them to retreat in a damaged 
state, though his own vessel was sunk. 

Attention was first called to this bay by the freebooters, 
who, extending along the north coast of the island, and 
finally overrunning the peninsula of Samana, established 
in this bay their place of rendezvous. 

As the French gradually acquired a permanent hold as 
successors to the buccaneers on Tortuga and the west end, 
the Spanish authorities became alarmed and made efforts to 
hold it; and finally, in 1756, a number of inhabitants were 
brought over from the Canaries, and they were given 
plantations and live stock with which to begin a settle- 
ment. This effort was so badly sustained, that the place 
languished until, in the revolution of St Domingo, a num- 
ber of French refugees sought safety here, and established 
themselves, creating some sugar estates. 

On the uniting of the whole island under Boyer, these 
people left, and the coloured population from the United 
States came. 

The French always laid much value on the possession of 
this part, and England was at one time extremely anxious 
to secure it, being, as it undoubtedly is, the key to the 
southern passage of the Gulf of Mexico. 

It will be seen that, difficult as is the entrance to this famed 
bay, it is yet sometimes more difficult to leave it without 
the aid of steam; for sailing vessels cannot make their way 
out, unless with the land-breeze blowing, and often the 
sea-breeze blows so steadily that it is impossible to get out 
for a long time. Should, however, a great harbour be 
established here, this objection could be easily overcome 
by the use of steam-tugs. 

Every authority, as well as practical investigation, serves 
to confirm the belief that Samana Bay and its surround- 
ings is a spot particularly adapted by nature to be a grand 
arsenal or navy-yard for the power that owns it. 

The peninsula, though not very extensive, will afford 



COAL. 205 



occupation and nourishment to a large body of agri- 
culturists in the raising of fruits and vegetables, and in the 
culture of the coffee, cocoa, and cocoa-trees, to which the 
hills are well adapted. Sugar-cane can be produced upon 
the plains, while the timber is abundant for the purposes 
of commerce and shipbuilding. 

The great valley of the Vega Real, drained by the Yuna, 
with a current of four miles an hour, will pour into its lap 
an inexhaustible supply of agricultural products and pre- 
cious woods ; and wherever and whenever that spot may 
be selected for a city on this noble bay, under a sound 
Government it is destined in the future to be the great 
commercial port of this part of the world, rivalling even 
Havana or Yera Cruz. 

Although there are reports of abundance of coal on the 
peninsula, investigation does not verify them, for the 
specimens that have as yet been discovered are simply the 
common lignite, of comparatively little value. The captain 
of the Tyler informed me he had tried it in his furnaces to 
no purpose. 

The experience of residents and the records of authorities 
prove that, in a general sense, this district is very healthy, 
and free, ordinarily, from epidemics. On the low lands, or 
where the mangrove-trees prevail, there is always more or 
less of the " calentura," or slow fever of the country, 
which, perhaps, under certain circumstances, may terminate 
in bilious typhoid, or even yellow fever; ordinarily it is, how- 
ever, a trifling affair, soon conquered with a little attention. 

Samana is esteemed both a hot and w^et place, there 
being the usual rainy season, with frequent showers in the 
dry season, while the thermometer ranges at midday as 
high as 90° in the shade, though at night and early in 
the morning throughout the year it descends as low as 
70°. This temperature is, however, always rendered more 
bearable by the constant breezes that prevail. 

It is curious to read, in the works of the writers of 



206 SANTO DOMINGO. 

different nationalities, the harmony that exists in their 
sentiments as regards the importance and character of 
Samana Bay ; but especially is this true of the French. A 
writer in 1861, at the time of the proposed taking posses- 
sion of the island by Old Spain, writes : " We are particu- 
larly interested in maintaining the liberty and security of 
Hayti. This country yet owes us fifty millions of francs, 
that the invasion of Spain will jeopardise. Our interests are 
greater in the St Dominican question. The Haytians 
regard France as a second mother ; the men of colour who 
preside over their destinj^ belong to our country by their 
fathers^ as they belong to. Africa by their mothers. The 
advantages, strategetical and commercial, of Samana Bay, 
have solicited for a long time the regards of maritime 
nations. This basin, so magnificent, where one can enter 
only by a channel of a mile wide, would be able to contain 
all the fleets of the world. " 

Estaing, in 1764, undertook to found there a great 
establishment. Louis Philippe even, in accord with the 
recommendation of various French naval ofiicers, had the 
intention in 1846 to establish a great arsenal there, but this 
was frustrated by the English alliance. St Remy, in speak- 
ing of it, says : ''- Samana Bay is one of those maritime 
positions that is encountered but in two or three places in 
the world. It is no't only the military key, but the com- 
mercial key to this part of the world." 

On our arrival at Samana Bay we found that the visit of 
the United States Commission had created great excite- 
ment among the people, the members of which had pursued 
their investigations in every direction, and then left for St 
Domingo city. 

Following their example, we steamed out of Samana Bay, 
and it was not long before we passed Montana Redonda 
(round mountain), that marks the southern point (Cape 
Rafael) of the bay, being prominent from its strong re- 
semblance to a sugar-loaf. 



i 



''LOS LLANOS." 207 

From here to Punta Espada (Sword Point), the shore 
presents the aspect of a series of declivities covered with 
verdure, but apparently (as in fact they are) uninhabited. 

Cape Engano marks the most eastern point of the island, 
and we are now in what is known as the Mona Passage, 
the name given to the channel which divides St Domingo 
from Puerto Eico. In the middle of this passage are two 
small islands known by the names of Mona and Monita 
(Monkey and Cub). 

Mona, the larger of the two, is about seven miles long 
and two wide, and was given to Diego Columbus by the 
Spanish rulers in 1512 ; and at one time is said to have 
been fully under cultivation, but now it is uninhabited. 

The course of the steamer being now entirely changed, 
she heads almost due west, and we pass the Island of 
Saona, once famous in the annals of the Jesuits as a place 
where they held exclusive control over fertile fields. It is 
as large as the Dutch Island of Curacoa, and said to be 
infinitely more fertile, though now desolate and unpro- 
ductive. 

Spread out before us we have a splendid view of the 
entire coast line of this southern shore, beyond which, 
stretching far away to the interior of the island, where 
they are met by the misty hills and mountains, lie those 
wondrous prairies or plains of which we have heard so 
much by their names of " Los Llanos " or savanas. 

These occupy the whole extent of the south-eastern part, 
beginning at the Ozama on the west, and terminating at 
the eastern end of the island. 

Far as the eye can reach stretch these vast plains, covered 
with long grass, with here and there clumps of trees, an 
occasional house or hut only to be seen ; while in the far 
distance is the continuation of the Cibao range of hills, 
which divides these plains in two. 

This is the country spoken so enthusiastically of by St 
Mery as being so well adapted to sugar estates ; and they 



208 SANTO DOMINGO. 

remind me, by their extent and character, of the vast sugar 
plains of Cuba, which teem with luscious wealth. These are 
now occupied but by the roving herds of cattle and their 
attendant '' hateros " or herdsmen. 

In all this district there are but two villages of any im- 
portance — the one, Higuey, being at the eastern end of 
the island, on the river Yuna, which empties into the Bay 
of Higuey. 

This town is renowned because of the ^'Virgin of Alta 
Gracia," to which superstition attributes astounding 
miracles. It was founded as far back as 1502, by John 
of Esquivel, and has always been a place of importance in 
this part of the island, though to-day, like all Dominican 
towns, it is a straggling, irregularly built place. 

The other town, Seybo, is situated at the foot of the 
mountains, nearer to the north and centre, upon the right 
bank of the river of the same name. It is not, however, the 
original town as founded by the Spaniards, but was settled 
a century ago by the farmers of the vicinity, who met there 
to hear mass. 

From the left bank of the Ozama to Cape EngaSo stretch 
these vast plains, comprising an extent of country near 
sixty leagues in length, containing 700 square leagues of 
land, of which more than 600 are in plains, comprising a 
body of the finest agricultural land in the world, and being 
watered by many rivers of various sizes. The products of 
this section are shipped at the romantic port of Romana 
on the coast, which is capable of being made into a good 
harbour for the extended agricultural products of this 
part. 

All the inhabitants are a fine class of people, free and 
independent, though of different shades of colour; the 
majority being the native brown or Creole white. I shall 
not forget the impression made upon me by the sight of 
some 600 of these people, who, hearing the United States 
Commissioners were at St Domingo city, gathered together 



ADDRESS ON ANNEXATION. 



209 



from every direction, and marching np from their homes 
many weary miles, gathered in the great arsenal square, 




Meeting in Arsenal Square. 

with the flags of the United States and Dominica unfurled 
at their head. 

After they had rested from their long and hot march, 
they were drawn up in a hollow square by the colonel who 
had charge of them, and a priest (their padre, as they 
called him), who seemed to have great influence and 
weight with them, made them a stirring address, amid 
much enthusiasm, in which he said that they would now, 
perhaps, have an o]3portunity of joining a great nation, in 
which the people were identified with the cause of progress, 
of intelligence, and of industry % it remained for themselves 
to say what they would he when that time came, as, if they 
were possessed of the above qualities of the people of that 
great nation, they would be equal to any one there. All 
were equal ; there was no distinction of colour, no slavery, 
no tyranny; nothing but freedom and protection from a 



210 SANTO DOMINGO, 

strong Government, which would bring peace and order 
into their beautiful island, and, with their consent, pro- 
tection to industr}^ and security for property. 

For himself, he said, though he had been a Spaniard, 
Puerto Rican, Dominican, and always their padre (here 
the entire multitude with much respect uncovered), he yet 
hoped to call himself an American. 

Three cheers were then given for the Dominican banner, 
and then three more for the American, which were given 
with a will, when the men broke ranks and took to the 
shady side of the wall for rest. 

I seized hold of the colonel, who was a weather-beaten, 
swarthy - looking man of medium height, with grizzly 
moustache, who told me he was about fifty-six years of 
age, and that he had served in the army forty- six years of 
that time in various grades ; that Baez was his chief, to 
whom he was devoted, and he would go just where the 
President told him. If he (Baez) was for annexation, so 
was he, and he knew it would be a good thing for 
Dominica, else Baez wouldn't propose it. This was the 
most refreshing and frank explanation of views I had 
met with from any one. 

Alas ! for those earnest people ; they know little of 
" politics " as understood in the United States. 

I wandered among these men, asking them questions 
about their habits, hopes, and experiences; and from all I 
heard but one sentiment — discontent at the present con- 
dition of affairs in the island, and hope for the future, that 
a connection with the United States would give them peace 
and security. 

Most of the people seemed to be poor and badly dressed, 
but none lacked energy, and all expressed a desire for 
profitable work, some even asking if the prospect of a rail- 
road through their country would not afford means of 
gaining money. 

Although many of these men had marched that day 



CATTLE PASTURAGE. 



211 



some eighteen or twenty miles through mud and under a 
hot sun, they contented themselves with a frugal repast 
of a roasted plantain or bit of jerked beef, their beverage 
being the water carried in the water-bottles by their sides, 
many of them with their pet gamecocks carried on their 
shoulder or under their arm. 

Physically, these men are as fine a lot as I have ever 
seen, and while lacking even the elements of education, 
they are by no means deficient in natural intelligence. 

On this plain, which we have been describing, the cattle 
of hundreds of owners pasture in herds, being annually 
collected, counted, and the young branded. 

In the dry season it is customary to burn all the grass, 
t^he cattle taking to the timber, which is scattered at 
intervals in groups that look as if they had been planted 
by the hand of man, resembling great parks ; near them 
are springs of water or streams, in whose vicinity grow 
various shrubs, upon which the cattle browse. In these 
groves the weary traveller is glad to hang his hammock 
and recuperate himself from the effects of the mid-da}^ 
heat. 




17 



A Weary Traveller. 



CHAPTER XIL 



" A holy gathering, peaceful all ; 
No threat of war, no savage call 
For vengeance on an erring brother. 



St Domingo City — The United States Commission — First Ln- 
pression of the City — Visit to Baez and his Cabinet — Historical 
Notes of the City — Its Present Condition and Appearance — 
Trade and Future Prospects — Schools — The Mausoleum of 
Columbus — Dominican Amusements — San Carlos and the 
Exterior of the City — The Harbour as a Po?'t — Well of Colum- 
bus — Mahogany Trade — Labourers. 

IT was the early morning of one of those perfect days with 
which one only meets in the tropics that we came in 
sight of the famous old city of St Domingo. It does not 
make mnch of an appearance as regards size and grandeur 
when viewed from the sea south of it ; yet, seen this beauti- 
ful day, with its gaudy-coloured roofs and ruined age-stained 
and picturesque towers, it presents a quaint and attractive 
sight, though a very different one from the splendid approach 
to her younger and richer sister — Havana. 

A queer old place it is, and as we come up to its harbour, 
formed by the mouth of the river Ozama emptying into the 
sea, we cannot help imagining ourselves back ages ago. As 
we look at the ancient walls and turrets that tower high 
above our heads in passing through the narrow channel to 
the harbour, we almost fancy we can see the Spanish 
adventurer of the fifteenth century bringing his arquebus 
to "ready," as, dressed in the quaint costume of that time, 
he stands prepared to challenge us with his " Quien viva? " 
(who comes there). And, indeed, it requires no great stretch 






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E 







' IIpIIiIII'I ilillMHiiiUllllllllllBII /liJllO li 



iiiniiiiii[iii:iiiiiii{il 



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ii ilifii 



iii; 






'li ij 



JIA/Jl. 



iilliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 



UNITED STATES COMMISSION. 



215 



of imagination to picture thus such scenes, for here is seen 
no hand of progress on these old hills, which Nature has 
changed more than man. Would that we might trulj^ 
answer to the challenge of the sentry — Here comes the 
spirit of American institutions, to bring peace and good- 
will, progress, enlightenment, and improvement to this beau- 
tiful but impoverished, depopulated, and hard-used land. 

Here we found the members of the United States Com- 
mission busy in seeking that information they were sent 
out to obtain ; and never was a nation more earnestly and 
honestly served than by this body of experienced gentlemen, 
who, without hope of reward or profit, and at much in- 
convenience to themselves, earnestly and conscientiously 
availed themselves of every means and opportunity to seek 
the truth about the affairs of the island. 

In these efforts they were immensely assisted by the 
energy and intelligence of the correspondents of some of the 
most prominent newspapers of the United States. 

First impressions of such a place as St Domingo city can- 




The Ozama— Ruins of Columbus' House. 

not fail to be novel and strange. From the time of landing 



214 SANTO DOMINGO. 

at the quay, entirely deserted of shipping, to the moment 
when, having secured quarters in the spacious saloons of a 
Grovernment palace, the traveller has a chance to collect his 
thoughts, every moment brings a new, interesting, or 
funny sight. 

Gaily-coloured walls, with dirty negroes sunning them- 
selves against them; narrow streets, with solid-built houses, 
whose immense doors and spacious windows contrast forcibly 
with their limited height of only one or two stories ; broad- 
brimmed-hatted horsemen on small, compact, quick-moving 
horses, contrast with the dusky urchin who, naked of every- 
thing but a shirt, bestrides an immense straw-saddle on the 
back of a very diminutive donkey, — all serve, with hundreds 
of other noticeable things, to strike the stranger, and impress 
upon him the fact that he has exchanged his Saxon associa- 
tions of order, cleanliness, and precision, for the peculiarities 
of Spanish tropical life. 

Knots of men and women, mostly coloured, and busy in 
talk, are scattered about the quay or in the small open places 
called "plazas ; " odd-looking stores, with still more odd- 
looking assortments of goods, are entirely open to the gaze 
of the passer-by; while in the market-place are noticed the 
same peculiarities observed at Puerto Plata, only on a more 
extended scale. Go where one will, however, every one is 
cheerful, polite, and Communicative, while the dusky " fair 
ones " presiding over piles of strange, unknown tropical pro- 
ductions, are merry, while obliging even in giving information. 

Such are the sights that to-day first greet the traveller 
in the city that at one time was famous for its magnificence. 

The day after my arrival I called at the palace to pay 
my respects to the authorities and present my letters of in- 
troduction. I was received by Mr Delmonte in the most 
cordial manner, and presented to President Baez, the 
Secretary of State, Mr Gautier, being present. They were 
all extremely affable and kind, and had rather a practical 
joke, though of a pleasant nature, at my expense ; for on 



PRESIDENT BAEZ. 



215 



my happening to let drop a Spanish word, the President 
laughed and said — " I must talk to them all in Spanish, 
as it was too hard work for him to talk English, and Mr 
Gautier did not understand it, and therefore we should get 
on finely as one family." We had some pleasant words 
together, and I left feeling that my first had been anything 
but a formal call. 

courtly, pleasant man, of medium 



President Baez is a 
height and agreeable 
appearance. He is 
just fifty-seven years 
of age, and would 
never be taken for 
other than a Spaniard 
were it not that his 
hair, as he turns his 
head, shows just a 
little of the character 
of the hair of the 
African. He speaks 
French aswellas he does 
Spanish, but English 
only tolerably well. 
He seems perfectly 
frank. With the easy 
air and manner of a 

thorough man of the world, he impresses me as a perfectly 
upright man, and that seems to be generally the impression 
made. 

The accompanying portrait of him is a very good one, 
though somewhat younger than he now appears. The por- 
traits circulated representing him as a black man are 
utterly false. 

Mr Gautier, the Secretary of State, is a man of about forty 
years of age, rather bald, with thin black hair, small, pierc- 
ing black eyes set well in his head, and with a noble brow 




Baez. 



216 SANTO DOMINGO. 

that bespeaks intellect. He is rather reticent ; but, as he 
speaks no English, it may be for that reason, interpreters 
being awkward mediums. I found him conversing in 
Spanish agreeable, but precise in his expression, as though 
he weighed carefully each word, and his entire head re- 
sembles somewhat the first Napoleon as depicted in pictures. 

Minister Delmonte, who has charge of the public instruc- 
tion and education, is a medium-sized, spare man, with a 
quick, nervous action, speaking English very well. He is 
very cordial in his manner, and seems honest and straight- 
forward. In fact, as far as I have seen Baez and his 
Cabinet, judging from several interviews I had with them. 
my impressions are extremely favourable, and though pre- 
pared by articles in the newspapers of the United States to 
take a rather prejudiced view of some of these gentlemen, 
I confess I was entirely converted to the opinion, held even 
by the enemies of President Baez, that he is a remarkably 
talented man, earnest for the welfare of his people and 
country. 

St Domingo city, the oldest existing settlement in the 
New World, humble as it is to-day, is yet a place of great 
interest to the antiquarian or artistic traveller. 

Its early history is enveloped in a cloud of romance, but 
from which have been sifted the following facts. 

When the Spaniards were originally settled at the town 
of Isabella on the north coast, one of their number, Miguel 
Diaz, having a difficulty with a servant of Don Bartholomew 
Columbus, stabbed him, as he thought, to death, and fear- 
ing the consequences of his act, fled into the woods, and 
finally wandered to the south side of the island, where, enter- 
ing the domain, on the banks of the Ozama, of one of the 
native princesses, the latter eventually became enamoured 
of her Spanish guest, and it is even said they were finally 
married. 

Diaz appears to have become somewhat tired of this 
})rincess after a while, and longed for the presence of his 



ST DOMINGO CITY. 217 

countrymen; and his wife, noticing his melancholy, and 
hoping to make him better satisfied, proposed to him to 
bring his companions to that region, telling him also, as an 
inducement, of the gold to be found in the vicinity of the 
river Jaina. 

Diaz, big with this news, appears to have sought the 
vicinity of Isabella, and while loitering about there, learned 
that the man whom he supposed dead was still alive ; and 
thus feeling it safe to return, entered the town and made 
icnown to Don Bartholomew Columbus the news of the 
gold mines of the Jaina. Bartholomew immediately took 
steps to verify this fact, and finding it true, received orders 
from his brother the Admiral to found a town in the vicinity. 

The spot selected was on the high and commanding bluff 
on the left bank of the river Ozama ; and here, in 1494, 
August the 4th, was founded the new town, to which was 
given at first the name of New Isabella, but which was after- 
wards exchanged for that of St Domingo, in honour, as 
some writers assert, of the day (Sunday) on which the 
town was first established, and, as others again assert, in 
honour of the father of Columbus, who was called Domingo. 

To this place, in 1496, all the inhabitants of the original 
town of Isabella removed, and it soon became the capital 
town of the island. Columbus himself seems to have visited 
it for the first time on his return from Spain in August 
1498, two years after its foundation. 

Here the town remained, the houses principally being 
constructed of wood, until 1502, when Ovando came out as 
Governor to succeed Bobadilla. 

The fearful hurricane foretold by Columbus was the cause 
of its removal to the other side, for in that storm the place 
was entirely destroyed, and Ovando then determined to 
change its location to the other or right side of the river. 

This appears to have been a great mistake, and Charlevoix 
says it was only done because there were already there the 
habitations of some Spaniards ; and it is undoubtedly lower 



218 SANTO DOMINGO, 

than the other bank, and is frequently enveloped in the 
vapours of the river, which are created by the sun driving 
them before him — no small thing in a humid country. In 
addition to this, the opportunity was lost of always having 
a supply of fresh water, while in the new city the people 
had to rely upon their cisterns, because the water of the 
Ozama is brackish mauy leagues from its mouth. 

The new town made rapid progress from the fact that a 
number of the inhabitants built up houses on speculation, 
which drew to the place many of those arriving from Spain 
en route to Mexico, who, finding such a substantial well- 
built city, settled down there. 

The Grovernor Ovando intended to bring the water of the 
river Jaina, nine miles off, into the town, and a part of the 
aqueduct was even constructed, a slab in the principal 
square still remaining to show where there was to be a 
fountain. 

Oviedo, the historian of the time, in describing St 
Domingo says, ^* that as touching the buildings, there is no 
city in Spain, not even Barcelona, so much to be pre- 
ferred as San Domingo. The houses for the most part are 
of stone — the situation is much better than Barcelona, by 
reason that the streets are much larger and wider, and with- 
out comparison straighter and more direct, being laid out 
with cord, compass", and measure. In the midst of the city 
is the fortress and castle, and such houses so fair and large 
that they may well receive any lord or noble of Spain with 
his train and family, and especially is this true of that of 
Don Diego Columbus." 

Although, from that day to this, the city has experienced 
many changes and reverses, its general plan is much the 
same, and many of the old landmarks are still standing. 
Some of the buildings in the vicinity of the Cathedral 
having a very odd and venerable appearance. 

The form of the city is that of a trapezium or quad- 
rilateral figure, whose four sides are neither equal nor 



FLAN OF CITY. 



219 



parallel, being about 1100 yards long on the east side to- 
wards the Ozama, nearly 1000 yards on the south side 



^^'4z:i 







1, 2. Barracks. 

Powder magazine. 
4. Signal tower. 
6. Government palace. 
8-16. Churches. 



10. Ruined monastery ^San Francisco). 

17. General hospital. 

IS. Cathedral. 

22. Slaughter-house, 

24-29. Gates. 



bordering to the sea, and 1900 on the west side, and north 
toward San Carlos. 

The circumference of the town is about 4500 yards, the 
main street running from the principal square to the land 
gate or Puerta del Conde. 

The very walls of the east side of the city are washed 
by the Ozama, while on the south, the shore ends abruptly 
in bold rocky cliffs, against which the surf violently dashes ; 
upon the edge of this cliff extends an old useless parapet, 



220 SA^'TO DOMINGO. 

inside of which is a wide ample space originally used as 
the '' Paseo" or promenade of the townspeople, but which 
now, overgrown with grasSj appears silent and neglected 
enough. 

The outskirts of the city are composed of rather un- 




Old Part of St Domingo. 

attractive frame or semi-clay huts, roofed with palm or 
straw ; while in the interior of the town the houses are, 
many of them, solid and imposing. They are built in the 
old Spanish fashion, usually of one story in height, seldom 
over two. A wide entrance with immense folding doors 
opens into the hall, which conducts into the patio or court- 
yard, around which are the quari^ers and offices. The same 
lack of glass in the windows, and the use of iron bars, 
seen in Cuba, are universal here ; while the quietness of 
many of the old streets in the upper part of the town 
reminds one of a city of sleepers. In the streets leading 
up from the wharf, and in the vicinity of the market-place, 
more life is seen, and the architecture of the stores and 
houses, if not so imposing, is more modern. 

The whole city seems to be built upon a solid limestone 



WAT^Ji SUPPLY. 



221 



formation, sloping somewhat in the direction of the river, 
which makes its drainage easy, but appears to limit the 
supply of water. This is obtained principally from cisterns, 
that are placed upon the flat roofs, and to which the rain 
water is conducted by the pipes from the different roofs. 

The walls of the older houses are very solidly constructed 
either of stone or the 



material known as 
mamposteria, a mode 
of architecture some- 
what similar to that 
of Cuba. The method 
of making these walls 
is simple and econo- 
mical. The glutinous 
earth of the vicinity 
is taken and mixed 
with lime, and some- 
times, as in Cuba, 
with powdered stone ; 
frames of planks are 
then made in the de- 
sired form, and these 
are filled with layers 
of this composition, 
sand and lime being 
added. The whole is 
then moistened with 
water, well pounded 
and kneaded, and 




Business Street. 



allowed to dry, when the mould being withdrawn, leaves a 
firm solid wall, which, on exposure to the air, becomes hard 
as stone. Even the walls of the city are built in this way. 
With the exception of the old churches, there are few 
really imposing buildings in the .city, the government 
buildings, except for their solidity of construction, having 



222 SANTO DOMINGO.^ 

nothing striking about them, though their style of archi- 
tecture, peculiar to Spanish America, strikes the novice at 
first as somewhat grand, from the balconied piazzas sup- 
ported on pillars of solid construction. 

The general business of the city appears very limited 
indeed, and there are only one or two really large and ex- 
tensive stores with general assortments of goods. But 
there is always a certain amount of amusement to be 
obtained by the stranger in trading among these old 
Spanish towns. The perfectly easy, leisurely way in which 
negotiations are conducted, the amount of chaff and 
compliments exchanged even in the most ordinary pur- 
chase, is somewhat astonishing to people of the Anglo- 
Saxon race ; and it becomes, after a while, quite a pleasant 
amusement to have a seller name some ridiculous price for 
an article, just to see to how much one can finally reduce it. 

In fact, it is a question if St Domingo city, under any 
circumstances, will ever become a great business place, in 
its present locality at least. The opposite bank is undoubt- 
edly a more desirable location for a modern town in every 
respect ; besides which, there are so many places in other 
parts of the island having greater advantages, that the 
general commerce of the island will hardly seek this as its 
port, however large its local trade may become. 

Even its chance to be the capital of the island will, T 
think, be disputed by the interior town of Santiago, which, 
situated in the centre of the island, in the midst of a superb 
agricultural country, with ample water communication to 
every part, will have, with the assistance of the railroad, 
the controlling power in the island, becoming almost a 
second Chicago. 

The principal trade of St Domingo city is confined to 
the shipping of mahogany, dye, and cabinet woods, which 
are brought down from the interior, as well as the hides 
from the cattle in the Seybo district, but this entire trade 
is limited in amount. 



VILLAGE SCHOOL. 



223 



On the opposite side of the river the shore is well adapted 
for the erection of wharves for a large city, there being there 
a natural levee. On the hills above is a little village known 
as Pajarito (little bird), containing a few inhabitants only, 

I was much amused, however, while strolling through 
the place, by a visit to the village school, which was simply 
a thatched hut with earthen, floor, where I found a number 
of children, of both sexes and of all colours, seated on stools 
around the room. 

Between each pupil I was astonished to find a gamecock 
attached to a sort of perch ; and on my asking the children 
for an explanation, they said, ^' Oh ! they belong to the 
schoolmaster, who fights them on Sunday." This func- 
tionary was out, but I afterwards met him, and found him 




A Dotninican School. 



to be an intelligent coloured man, highly amused at my 

surprise at such new means of education, he explaining by a 

shrug of the shoulders and the remark, " Cosa Dominicana." 

On Sunday we went to the grand Cathedral to hear the 



224 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



morning service, high mass being performed by the Yicar- 
General ; and though the worshippers were not large in 
numbers, they comprised all classes and colours, the female 
sex being predominant. The chanting of the priests was 
accompanied by an orchestra, principally stringed, and 




The Mausoleum of Columbus. 



small in number, that was placed in the choir, which is 
constructed in the centre of the church, a mulatto with 
strong nasal accent acting as leader of the vocalists. 

The Cathedral, the most interesting building in St Do- 
mingo, is in its interior a grand old church, with pillars 
and arches and crypts and altars innumerable ; and as we 
view its vast extent we can readily believe the accounts of 
the various historians, who give such glowing relations of 
its splendours in ancient days. Its exterior bears the marks 
of its great antiquity upon its form, not only in the weather- 
stained walls, bat in the quaint architecture. 

This old church was particularly interesting to me as 



MAUSOLEUM OF COLUMBUS. 225 



having visited the last resting-place of Columbus in the 
Cathedral at Havana, I had now the opportunity of seeing 
his first mausoleum in the New World ; for it was here that 
his remains were brought from Spain, as well as those of 
his brother Don Bartholomew. 

It seems extremely curious, and well illustrates the lethargy 
and decay of Spain, that, in 1783, when Moreau St Mery, a 
Frenchman, visited the city, it was a matter of absolute 
doubt and uncertainty as to the resting-place of these 
remains ; and it was only through his exertions they were 
positively found to be there, in a leaden coffin, which had 
been walled up in the Cathedral ; and even then it was not 
ascertained to a certainty in which coffin were the bones of 
Columbus himself. Another one was found at the same 
time, containing those of his brother Bartholomew. 

This edifice stands facing the public square, and is built 
of solid stone, Gothic in architecture, and has a nave and 
two wings. It was begun in 1512 and finished in 1540, 
being constructed after the model of a church in Rome ; and 
has withstood the shocks of all earthquakes — a proof either 
of the strength of its walls, or else the weakness of the 
shocks of the earthquakes, that once or twice in two or three 
hundred years have visited this island. 

The church is entered by three large doorways and two 
porticoes, these being the most striking part of the building, 
massive and imposing in appearance, and richly carved 
originally, although now worn with age. 

To mount upon the roof, one ascends by a spiral staircase 
built of stone, and from the roof a good view of the city is 
obtained ; and it was upon this that cannon had been 
mounted in defence of the town, there being even a bomb- 
shell still remaining in its wall, fired by the English when 
attacking the French in possession of the city in 1809. 

The city at one time possessed a large number of church 
organisations, being, as it was then, the principal arch- 
bishopric of the New World. When thev were all in full 
18 



226 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



operation, there were two or three monasteriesj two nun- 
neries, several hospitals, and a number of parochial or 




Cathedral Door. 



minor churches. All, or most of them, are now either extinct 
or gone to such decay as is sad to witness. 

Many of these institutions, but particularly the Cathedral, 
were rich in gold and silver ornaments and decorations, but 
of which they have been despoiled at different times, prin- 
cipally, however, during the occupation of the French. 

Desiring to get information about religious and educa- 
tional matters, we called upon the Vicar- General, and had 
a very pleasant interview with him. We found him in one 
of his rooms, close by the Grand Cathedral, and in its court- 
yard, in fact. He is a short, stout, full-made man, with 
full black beard and moustache, sparkling black eyes, and 
full round head and face. As he sat before me I could 
not help thinking he was the very picture of a jolly Domini- 
can friar, particularly as the close-fitting skull-cap, with a 
funny little button on top, gave him a very comical appear- 
ance. He informed me he had only lived here a year ; that 
there was a seminary, primary school, and college, all under 



SEMINARY AND COLLEGE. ' 227 

the care of tlie Church. The schools contained altogether 
some three hundred pupils. In the college there is a night- 
school for the poorer class, who are ambitious of knowledge, 
and of whom a certain number are gratuitously instructed 
at the expense of the Town Council; while others are 
admitted, that can afford it, at the rate of one dollar per 
month. 

Our conversation with theYicar-G-eneral was very full and 
entertaining, and his views of annexation very frank. I 
asked him how he liked the idea of it. He replied, ^' At 
present there is only one Church here, and that is the Roman 
Catholic ; but if annexation comes, there will be others." 

"Yes," I replied; "but then you must remember that 
you will have ample toleration for your Church." 

He laughed cynically as he said, " But I have to tolerate 
others too." 

I answered, " You have only your own Church, with a 
very small number of members ; in the United States your 
Church is a very powerful one, and has a great many 
members ; don't you, therefore, suppose that your numbers 
will be increased, and your church revenues improved by 
annexation ? " 

" Frankly, senor," said he, " it really don't make much 
difference with me either one wa}" or the other. I like 
Rome better than I do here; it is sometimes so hot for 
me in summer ; but I tell my people, when they ask me 
about it, they must remember that they cannot do with the 
United States as they did with Spain ; once annexed they 
cannot get out." 

In the building occupied as the seminary there are 
various classes under instruction by brothers of the Church, 
and some few refugee Cubans acting as instructors. A 
school of medicine is established, and the })rinciples of 
physiology and medicine taught; lectures being given, while 
we were present, upon osteology, illustrated by the human 
skeleton. 



228 SANTO DOMINGO. 

We were exceedingly charmed with our visit through the 
seminary, which we made after seeing the Vicar- General ; 
for though most of the classes were limited in numbers of 
pupils, we were treated with a courtesy that seems to be 
an instinct with these people and their children. In every 
case, on entering the room, the pupils, as well as their 
instructors, immediately arose, the latter coming forward, 
and in the kindest manner volunteering all the information 
we wanted. 

What a change, however, from those early days in the 
history of the city, when its celebrated university gave 
pre-eminence to its citizens over those of all the towns of 
the New World, by the liberal education extended them, 
the renown of which became so great, that the city itself 
received the name of the " Athens of the New World ! " 

Another old landmark of the dead past of this historic 
town is the building known as the " Castle of Columbus," 
being the house built upon the margin of the west bank oi 
the river by Diego Columbus, the son of the Admiral, while 
the old town of St Domingo was still upon the eastern side 
of the river. It was built very solidly of stone, and sur- 
rounded by an enclosure to protect him from the attacks ot 
Indians. Afterwards, when the town was removed to the 
other bank, the house was completed, the ramparts of the 
town running down to it, and one of the gates immediately 
under it receiving the name which it bears to-day from the 
house of Colon. It has now gone to decay and ruin; but 
yet makes a picturesque and interesting point for the visitor 
to St Domingo city, — the illustration in a previous page 
showing it in a better state of preservation than it is to- 
day. 

As we desired to satisfy our curiosity with a view of the 
Dominican cockpit, we paid a visit there in the early after- 
noon. The place was crowded, the pit being only a small 
place or circle of about fifty feet radius, much humbler 
than those of its Cuban neighbour. We mounted up to 



THE G ARRIVAL. 229 

the top seat, by means of a ladder, for a standing place; 
but on Damion Baez, the brother of the President, per- 
ceiving us, he very kindly offered us seats below in the 
select part; but, as we only wished to stay a few moments, 
we declined his offer. 

A cockfight seems to be the same all the world over as 
it is here, in Cuba, or "in Jersey." Much as we may 
disapprove of such exhibitions, particularly where repre- 
sentatives of the Government are present as patrons, I 
must confess I would rather " take my chance " with these 
people in their cockfights than with the roughs at a dog- 
fight in New York city, or a prize-fight in the ring; for I 
hold that none of these exhibitions represent truly "the 
people " of any of the places in which they may take place : 
and I am free to say that I have heard the best of Cubans, 
as well as Dominicans, speak of the cockpit with abhor- 
rence, and hope for its abolition. The customs of a people, 
however, are not to be changed in a day, whatever time 
may effect. We saw but one fight, and then left, our 
interest being soon over, as our curiosity was gratified, and 
the noise of the audience, as they in their excitement 
screamed out their bets, was deafening. 

This being the first day of the carnival, the streets all 
the afternoon were filled with maskers and mummers, who 
at this season have much liberty allowed them ; but with it 
all, in the two or three days to which this privilege extends, 
we heard of no disorderly conduct whatever. It was in 
strong contrast, as we turned from one of these processions 
of merrymakers, to meet another making its way along 
the plaza ; but it was a procession of a very different order 
— a funeral, which, with its four-wheeled canopy trimmed 
with white, and drawn by one horse, was carrying to its last 
resting-place the remains of an aged citizen, whose friends 
on foot formed the funeral cortege. In either case, very, 
very humble, and so different from the rich displays made 
in tJie gTeat city of Havana, of which St Domingo may, in 



230 SANTO DOMINGO. 

fact, be said to be a very small and cheap edition — inferior 
in every respect except in its natural advantages. 

Long years of adversity and revolution have impoverished 
the country, killing all enterprise, deadening every energy 
of its people, and destroying every sense of security, so 
that if the capitalist should feel tempted by the numerous 
rich openings offered by the natural advantages of the 
country, he is deterred by the lack of confidence in the 
Government's power to resist the cabals and attempts of a 
lot of political vagabonds, who, seeing only in turmoil and 
trouble a chance for themselves to rob and appropriate, are 
ready on the slightest pretext to take up arms. Thus there 
being no commerce of any moment,. and little production, 
the revenues of the Government are limited, and are not 
sufficient to meet the expenses. No improvements take 
place ; communication by land from one town to another is 
at times utterly impossible, and only at intervals by mule 
and horse-back. The result is, that every class is poor, and 
feeling this, a sense of shyness is manifested to strangers 
by the better class not natural to their desires or traditions. 

Although there is much talk about the unheal thiness, I 
cannot find that St Domingo city is ever anything but 
healthy ; for, from the old historians down, every writer 
speaks of its healthfulness. I do know that since we have 
been here there have* been but two funerals — one of them 
being the above ; in fact, they have a joke here, saying 
'' People die only of old age.'* 

Certain it is that during our stay here the climate has 
been delightful, the nights being fresh and cool ; and I am 
told there is no change in the summers, except that the 
days are a little hotter. Before day throughout the year a 
blanket is required in sleeping. 

Our thermometer since we have been here at the palace 
has hardly varied a degree each morning, showing an even 
temperature each day at five o'clock a.m. of 64", while at 
mid-day it has not gone over 85°. 



RESIDENCE FOR INVALIDS. 231 

I was constantly reminded of the pure air of Trinidad de 
Cuba, said to be the healthiest place in that island ; and 
though St Domingo city is not situated upon a high 
mountain, as is Trinidad, it yet seems quite as cool and salu- 
brious, owing to the fresh breezes from the hills prevail- 
ing at night, while those from the sea prevail during the 
day. 

For a winter's residence for invalids, this city could be 
made a very attractive place, and would offer a fine field 
to enterprising hotel-keepers to establish houses, either in 
or out of the city, for the accommodation of those desirous 
of escaping northern winters. At present there is no hotel 
worthy of that name ; but the stray traveller will be well 
taken care of by inquiring for " Monsieur Auguste." 

Riding up over the hills outside of the town, we get fine 
views of the harbour, which is comparatively small,, being- 
formed by the confluence of the Isabella and Ozama rivers, 
which by their junction form a Y. Each of these rivers 
receives in its course the tribute of many others of less 
consequence, and of a very g'reat number of streams and 
ravines, brooks and springs. Both of them take their rise 
in the mountains lying to the north-west of the city, and 
meet about three miles above it. The anchorage in the 
port itself is deep enough for vessels of any size, and it is 
a perfect landlocked harbour, the banks in some places 
being as high as twenty feet. The river for nearly three 
miles is about twenty-four feet deep, with a bottom of soft 
mud or sand. The present obstacle to it as a port arises 
from the fact that at the entrance there is a rock which 
prevents vessels drawing more than eighteen feet of water 
from entering; but this could easily be removed by blasting. 
In the time of the floods, some idea may be formed of the 
volume of water coming down the Ozama from the fact 
that the sea, at some distance from the river's mouth, is 
entirely discoloured by its muddy waters. 

As we sit upon the hill looking down upon the city, it 



232 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



has a strange appearance, with its red-coloured roofs and 
age -stained walls, those of the old Franciscan monastery, 
covered with vines and moss, being prominent in the fore- 
ground, just behind the bastioned angles of the northern 
walls. 

Taking a bridle-path, we rode almost around the city, 
parallel with the walls, which are, in fact, as old as they 
look, having been erected as far back as 1506 by JSTicholas 
Ovando, of whom such great deeds are told in the ancient 
Spanish chronicles. These walls are about eight feet 
thick and ten feet high, the revetment being of hewn 
stone, and the scarp cut in the solid rock. There is no 




Old Franciscan Monastery. 

glacis, while the bastions are very small, except those at 
the four angles, which are larger; the one at the south-west 
angle, known as La Forsza, built by Ovando, being in good 
preservation, though now beside it is the city shambles. 
Above the city, on the hill, stands the old town of San 
Carlos, as old as St Domingo itself, being perhaps better 
known to the readers of Irving as Ileignes. The ground, 
however, is the only antique portion of the place ; for the 



WELL OF COLUMBUS. 233 

houses are all modern, built of wood, of generally the most 
humble description, and the only striking object is the 
ubiquitous church that crowns the eminence. 

There used to be an immense amount of ordnance at St 
Domingo city, but most of it was carried away by the 
English in payment of assistance rendered by them to the 
Spaniards against the French. 

As a fortified city it would seem to be a failure, for the 
hill San Carlos commands it ; and unless this place was 
fortified with advanced works in connection, no amount of 
money expended on its walls would prevent the city from 
being rendered untenable. This was practically illustrated 
by General Carmichael, when he took the city with his 
troops upon this hill without firing a shot. 

Continuing our ride, we reached the Well of Columbus, 
on the left bank of the Ozama, deriving its name from the 
reputed fact that Bartholomew Columbus himself is said 
to have built this well. At all events, it is a very old 
structure of stone, with a quay or wharf parapeted of the 
same material upon the river, while standing against the 
hill-side is a double-arched structure, in the centre of 
which is the well or cistern, quite deep, and having in it 
delicious pure water, of which many of the vessels avail 
themselves. 

Upon the quays, between the well and the city walls, we 
found large quantities of the woods of the country, such as 
lignum, fustic, ebony, iron-wood, and mahogany, together 
with dye woods, being weighed in large scales prepara- 
tory to shipment ; and it makes quite a busy and strange 
scene, with the background of wooden booths of the 
roughest description, where the workmen regale themselves 
with ^' san cocho " (a stew), bad rum, cakes, &c., the end 
of the quay being devoted to the sale (wholesale) of fruits 
and vegetables. 

The workmen or labourers seem to work steadily and 
earnestly enough, even in the hot sun, to set at rest the 



234 SANTO DOMINGO. 

doubt whether these people will work even if they are paid ; 
for here J Avhere their wages are regularly paid by foreign 
houses, there is no trouble in getting labour. 

To these landings come the country people from far up 
the river Ozama, in their strange boats, a canoe dug out 
of huge trees, which, propelled by its one man occupant, 
probably comes forty or fifty miles to bring a couple of 
hundred plantains, not worth perhaps more than thirty or 
forty cents a hundred ; or perhaps the '^ canotero " brings 
down a more valuable freight, in the shape of two or 
three bits of mahogany, the average size of which is about 
three feet long by two square, the value of each piece not 
exceeding |8 to $10 here. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



'The plantain and banana's luscious fruit 
In circled clusters load the curling shoot ; 
With golden bloom the nectared orange glows ; 
"With spicy custard soft anana flows ; 
The juicy melon fills its netted mould ; 
And the crowned pine perfumes with fragrant gold. 



Vicinity of St Domingo City — Natural Caves — The Caves of 
Santanna — The Boundary Li7ie — Beata and Alia Vela 
Islands — Neybo — Salt Mines — Sugar Plantations — Azua — 
Ocoa Bay. , 

TT was witli a good deal of amusement to ourselves, and 
-'- gratification to a group of natives looking on, that a 
party of us gathered together one fine morning, prepared 
for a ride through the country lying in the vicinity of the 
city. Our horses had been gathered from various sources, 
though none of them, with their original equipments 
and their freely- costumed riders, would have passed 'a 
'' dress parade." Two or three of us particularly presented 
a ludicrous appearance, — a robust western major insisting 
upon taking the smallest horse, while the doctor was more 
particular about the size of his saddle than the quality of 
his mount, the others being selected pretty much at hap- 
hazard. 

Much to our gratification, however, our equines proved 
better in quality than in appearance, for size is no 
criterion of goodness in a St Domingo horse, many of 
those of the medium size being wonderfully endowed with 



236 



SA^TO DOMINGO. 



powers of endurance and rapidity of movement, the gait 
being similar to that of the Cuban horses, a sort of rack 
or amble. 

The land to the west and north of the city is rather 
rough and rocky, but after that it changes in character, 
and becomes very pretty, though for some distance out the 
country is somewhat level, and the soil of a rather reddish 
clay. 

In old times the vicinity of the city was noted for the 
beautj^ of its gardens and the charms of the places of 
'^recreo," or country-houses, which most of the wealthy 
citizens possessed ; but to-day these have all disappeared, 
and one only meets with the ordinary ^^ finca " or truck 
garden or farm, though along the sea-coast some pretty 
places have been established. 



Strange to say, however 




in all St Domingo, where 
nature is so prolific in 
every fern and fruit and 
flower, man seems to 
care very little about its 
cultivated beauties, and 
it is the rarest thing 
to find even an humble 
attempt at a flower- 
garden, be it in town 



or country. The ex- 
planation for this in- 
variably given me by 
the people, on my ask- 
ing why they did not 
have them, was, '' What 
is the use? just as soon 
as we had one made it 
would be destroyed in 
another revolution." 
Most of the Antilles are noted for their caves or sub- 






St Domingo Ferns. 



CAVES OF SANTANNA. 237 

terranean formations found in them; and St Domingo 
shares largely in this peculiarity, for they are to be met 
with in every part of the island. 

On the east bank of the Ozama, some two miles distant 
from the village, there is a curious cave known as a 
" Cueva de Agua " or water-cave, where there is to be seen 
a natural lake formed in a rocky cavern, in which are many 
stalagmites of curious form. 

The most noted of these caves, however, are those of 
Santanna, reputed to be one of the places of resort for the 
aborigines of the island, who came here to worship their 
zemes or gods. 

To this cave our party directed its way, after having 
made the circuit of the town ; and passing out by the 
western gate, and in front of the large cemetery, which 
lies bare and desolate just outside the city walls, we 
soon reached the thick scrub-covered rolling plain beyond 
the city, till, striking a bridle-path directly through the 
woods, we were protected from the sun by the dense 
foliage, which, meeting just above our heads, formed in 
many places a natural arch, under whose protecting shades 
we seemed as though shut out from the world, while turns 
in the path gave us lovely vistas of palms, and cocoas, 
and graceful flowing vines, and blossoming bush, that 
were charming; while the aroma and fragrance of the 
vegetation, on which still clung the morning dew, was 
especially delicious. Here, too, we met with the hedge of 
maya, upon which was now ripe the small yellow fruit, 
which, eaten sparingly, acts as a gentle purgative. At 
one of the houses, after we had ridden some distance, we 
picked up our guide, a negro boy, who, with only a pair of 
pants on, war> drawing water, his back exposed in all its 
nakedness to the hot sun, which he did not seem to mind. 
Coming to a high fence, which we could neither go over 
nor let down, we actually took the difficulty by the horns ; 
that is, we rode our spirited little horses, after a small 



238 SANTO DOMINGO. 

fight, slap through the hedge of the prickly maj^a, without 
their being the least the worse for it. 

And then we descended a narrow road through green 
fields to a shaded path that descends suddenly to the 




Entrance to Cave. 



entrance of the cave, which is composed of a double arch- 
way, the division being formed by grotesquely -shaped 
pillars of corallaceous rock, one of the arches permitting 
ingress of mounted visitors. Around these grew the thick 
tropical vegetation, the parasitical plants pendant from 
the branches of the trees giving an exceedingly graceful 
appearance to the entrance. 

Being mounted on the largest horse of the party, I 
found it necessary now and then to stoop in my saddle in 



ROCKY AMPHITHEATRES. 239 

order to prevent knocking my head against the roof, and I 
calculated from this that the cave was in its lowest point, 
from roof to floor, some seven or eight feet high. 

This entrance forms a sort of double saloon, passing 
through which we came into a rocky amphitheatre of per- 
haps three hundred feet or more in diameter. 

The sight was indeed a strange one^ the amphitheatre 
having all the appearance of having been at one time a 
lake, the walls of which were formed of the same peculiar 
rock, massed together in grotesque strata and strange 
forms, at the base of which, round the entire circle, were 
the apertures known as the caves ; above, the clear blue 
sky, unusually brilliant in colour, while upon the upper 
edge of the amphitheatre was the luxuriant vegetation of 
this island, giving grace and beauty in every conceivable 
form and colour to the scene ; the graceful tendrils of the 
vines entwining themselves around the trunks of the 
towering trees, whose thick and umbrageous foliage served 
to throw a tempered light into the cavity, the open floor of 
which was covered with masses of rock of varied form, 
thrown together in wild confusion. The mosses, and 
ferns, and herbage, that crept and grew over and in 
every crevice, added to the wild, strange, and beautiful 
scene. 

What gave a still more interesting, and, if I may so 
express it, weird appearance to the amphitheatre, were 
the long, innumerable roots of the trees upon the verge 
of the rocks, which looked exactly as though they had 
originally taken root in the earth, which, having after- 
wards been washed away, left these same roots gathered 
together in bundles of from ten to thirty in number 
each, which, growing downwards, had finally taken root 
in the substrata, looking, as they hung relieved against 
the gloomy background of the caves, like so many v/oody 
pillars. 

We entered several of these caves, and discerned naught 
19 



240 



SANTO BO MINGO. 



but gloom and owls, which, our feeble candles served barely 
to disturb. While these caves are extremely interesting 
as showing the freaks of nature, they have neither the 
brilliancy of the crystal caves of Bellamar in Cuba, nor yet 
the grandeur and extent of our Mammoth Cave in Ken- 
tucky. Yet withal there is such a weird look about the 
e^hapes of the pillars and the forms of the walls in their 
different degrees of obscurity, that it makes one expect to 
see appear some strangely-formed demon or wild-looking 
hermit, inquiring by what right his solitude is disturbed 
by beings from a far-away western world. 

The fact that some idols have been found in these caves 
is cited as authority for their having been used by the 
natives either as a place of worship or burial; for when a 
cacique died, his people opened and dried him by the fire, 
that he might be preserved entire. The body was then 
laid in some cave, together with his arms, and frequently 
his favourite wife attended him. This cave, it is said, 
was thus used. 

After leaving the caves, we made a considerable detour, 

in order to get an idea of 
the agricultural interests of 
this part of the island ; but 
we found comparatively 
little reward, for the amount 
of products are limited to 
the plantain, some garden 
vegetables, with a small 
amount of tobacco. 

A tropical shower com- 
ing on, we sought shelter 
under one of the most superb 
trees I have ever seen — a 
noble tamarind, of immense size, whose foliage, growing 
somewhat like that of the horse-chestnut, was so dense 
that we were perfectly protected from the downpour of 




Tamarind. 



AGRICULTURAL LANDS. 241 

rain. These trees always remind me of our locust-trees, 
though so much larger, and the grouping of the leaves 
with its fruit in the branches forms a most graceful natural 
feature. 

It always seems to me that nature in St Domingo 
stands a constant reproach to the inhabitants for their 
supineness and indifference to improving their condition. 
For one is constantly led to think what might be accom- 
plished by man's energy in a country where nature does 
so much. 

From St Domingo city westward to the Haytian border 
there is not a single town of any importance, though there 
are several villages of considerable size scattered at in- 
tervals throughout a section of country comprising some 
of the finest agricultural lands in the world, capable of 
supporting a large and industrious population, and where 
the climate is as salubrious as in that of any other part 
of the globe. 

The roads, like those in the rest of the island, are hardly 
worthy of the name ; but there is a fair bit of road from St 
Domingo city to the river Jaina in the west, available in 
good weather for carts, though pack animals are generally 
used — the traveller invariably going on horseback. 

Moreau St Mery, who seems to have personally and most 
thoroughly examined all this district of country from St 
Domingo city to the Haytian line (at the time of his visit, 
1784, in possession of the Spaniards), speaks in the highest 
praise of the character of the soil, the salubrity of the cli- 
mate, the abundance of wood and water, and the advantages 
of numerous harbours on the coast. 

Having determined to penetrate to the interior of the 
island and the north-west, and being informed the southern 
side was similar, in most respects, to those parts of the 
north which I proposed to visit, I was forced to decline the 
services of one of the natives of this section of the country, 
who offered himself as guide, with a strongly written 



242 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



recommendation. Here it is, as also the portrait of the 
individual, as cliaracteristic of liis class, in case any future 
traveller should need his help : — " Manuel Sevbano knows 

all the country about the upper 
Nigua and Nizao : one of the 
best mountaineers I ever saw- — 
when he is sober — and good as 
a circus when he is drunk — a 
type of man rarely found out 
of the backwoods ; a noted pig- 
hunter, and if the joigs are not 
wild, ^poco importe,' if he does 
not get caught himself; spends 
about half his time in the woods, 
and the other half in the cala- 
boose for making mistakes be- 
tween wild and tame pigs 
{i.e.. those with or without ear- 
marks)." 

As St Mery's notes have been 
verified by later authorities and 
the personal investigations of 
members of the United States 
Commission, it may not be amiss 
to give here a general account 
of the principal points of this 
section. 

Beyond the province of St 
Domingo on the west, beginning at the Ocoa river, and 
extending to the boundary line, lies the famous district of 
Azua, comprising within its limits the communes of Azua, 
Neyba, Barahona, San Juan, Las Matas, Banica, &c., 
most of which lie in the section marked in the map as the 
debatable ground, and comprising some of the finest parts 
of the island, but now in a disorganised state from the con- 
stant irruptions of the Haytian borderers united with some 




Manuel Seybano. 



BAHORUGO MOUNTAINS. 243 

refugee Dominicans, who, banded together under General 
Cabral, a former Dominican leader, keep the country to 
the west of Azua in a state of suspense similar to that of 
our Indian frontier. 

The western border of the Dominican territory begins, as 
will be seen on looking at the map, on the south bank of 
the river Perdenales (Flint river), flowing at the west side 
of the high mountain range known by its Indian appellation 
of Bahoruco. 

These mountains, rising majestically from the Dominican 
lines, face with a gentle slope the sea nearly to the south- 
west, opposite to the shore of which is the small island 
of Beata. 

Yalverde says that these mountains are extremely 
fertile, and possess a lovely climate ; and quotes as an illus- 
tration that a Spanish officer, being up there in pursuit 
of fugitives, had tents erected for his party, which he 
covered with cabbage-leaves, so large was their growth. 

This situation, where everything seems to bespeak mines 
of gold, and where gold-sand is found in the water, was a 
great resort for the Spanish and French negroes, where 
they formed themselves into an unconquerable body, and 
committed depredations on the surrounding country. 

All along this shore going east are many coves, where 
vessels of moderate size may enter, and particularly Eagle's 
Cove, where it is said ships may approach near enough to be 
fastened ashore. Here is met the most southern point of 
the island. Cape Beata, and opposite it lies the little island 
of the same name, famous in times past as the great resort 
of French privateers, they being eventually driven from 
thence by Admiral Cowley. Columbus saw this island 
in 1498, and took shelter in its passage from a storm in 
1504. 

Some six miles to the south-west of Beata is the now 
famous island of Alta Vela (Big-sail), so called by Columbus 
in 1494, on account of its height and form, which at a 



244 SANTO DOMINGO. 

distance resembles a vessel under full sail. The land on 
the island rises to the centre, and is covered with wood ; 
but it has more lately been occupied as a guano-island, 
with the expectation of procuring large quantities of that 
fertiliser. An engineer, however, on board the steamer, 
whose services had been engaged there, informed me that 
as yet the quantity of guano was very small, it having 
only been found in pockets in the rock, and that his 
services were engaged to run the engines in the new occu- 
pation of salt-making. 

Continuing north from Cape Beata, the first bay of im- 
portance is Neyba, into which empties the river of the same 
name, that has its source in the above-named mountain, 
and which waters a fine extent of country. That looking 
west was all formerly occupied by the Maroons or runaway 
negroes, being originally the famous province of Xaragua. 

In the early days of the conquest these slopes were de- 
voted to the cultivation of sugar ; and St Mery, a practical 
planter, computes that in the two plains adjacent to this 
coast there could be established over 250 sugar plantations 
capable of employing in his time over 50,000 negroes ; while 
in the plain of ]N"eyba, watered by that river, 150 more 
plantations could be j^rofitably established. 

The river Neyba having several mouths, that run through 
low grounds or marslies, the Bay of Neyba is not so good a 
port for this section as the Barahona, a little to the south ; 
but this is capable of being made into a good harbour, and 
it is said Toussaint had commenced to establish there an 
important town when the arrival of the French put an end 
to his plans. 

All the country lying to the east of the curious lake 
called Enriquello is known generally by the name of the 
Plain of Neyba, which is pretty generally fertile. Near the 
little town of the same name is situated the famous mine 
or rock of crystal salt, which is generally used by the 
people in that vicinity for curing their provisions. The 



COMMUNE OF AZVA. 245 

salt is said to have the peculiarity of becoming much 
heavier on being exposed to the air ; and it is said that the 
natural reproduction of this mineral is so rapid that quite 
a large hollow will be filled up again in the course of the 
year. 

To the north, on the ^N'eyba, lies the fairy valley of 
St John, or San Juan, noted for its great fertility in all 
time and the salubrity of its climate, while more lately it 
has been the seat of Cabral's raids. 

In old times the whole of this district comprised the 
province of Maguana, under the control of the chief 
Caonabo. The town of San Juan is an old place, and has 
suffered many reverses, having shifted its location at 
various times. 

To the north is the town of Banica, which, originally 
founded by Ovando in 1503, is now held by the Haytians. 
The whole of this beautiful valley of St Thomas, as it is 
called, possesses a superb climate, being an elevated district, 
and well adapted to raise cattle, sheep, wheat, and all the 
products of the temperate zone. 

And now we come to the famous commune of Azua, 
which always seems to have been a favourite part of the 
island, and has been noted for the luxm^iance of its sugar- 
cane, its fruits, and the salubrity of its climate. 

Almost identical in its peculiarities of soil and vegetation 
with the district of Monte Cristo in the north-west, Azua 
seems always to have been a more settled part, probably 
from its lying in a milder region, and being upon the great 
southern route, in old times, from the Spanish to the French 
capital of the island. 

The old town of Azua was founded in 1504 by Diego 
Columbus. He gave it the surname of Compostella, in 
honour of Gallego, commander of the order of Santiago, 
who had a habitation in the neighbourhood, its present ap- 
pellation being the old Indian name. 

This is the district which first produced in the most 



246 SANTO DOMINGO. 

prolific manner sugar for the Spaniards — the cane being 
noted as producing for six consecutive years full crops 
without care or renewal. In fact, to-day cane is shown in 
bearing said to be seventy years old. 

But sugar alone is not the only excellent product, for 
every fruit and vegetable is remarkably perfect in this 
region, the orange especially being noted for its flavour. 

The present town is situated on the road from San Juan 
and Neyba to St Domingo, and is some two leagues dis- 
tant from the Bay of Ocoa, one of the most famous ports 
on the south coast, and in which Columbus took shelter 
from the great storm. 

The old town, where Her nan Cortes was town-clerk 
before he started out on his adventurous career, was de- 
stroyed by an earthquake in 1751. This terrible event led 
the sea up to the very town, when it was abandoned. 

Like all other Dominican towns, it is now a straggling 
collection of one-storied houses, built of palm-leaves, straw, 
and poles, gathered round a wide open space honoured 
with the name of ^^ plaza ; " and aside from the fact that it 
has been the home of the Baez family, who own large pro- 
perties in the vicinity, there is nothing to attract the 
traveller at present. 

With railroads, and capital, and immigration, this would 
probably prove a district agriculturally of the first import- 
ance. In this case the Bay of Ocoa, with its port of Calderas, 
being splendidly adapted for a great marine rendezvous, 
would prove a formidable rival to St Domingo city. 

All this district to the west of Azua has suffered much 
from the various revolutions and incursions which seem to 
have selected this province for their inception ; but now, 
happily for the rest of the island, these little " unpleasant- 
nesses" are pretty much confined to one locality. To 
thoroughly understand the cause of these, we shall have to 
study a little of the history of St Domingo since it became 
a republic. 



CHAPTER XIY. 

" Spain, watching from her Morro's keep 
Her slave-ships traversing the deep, 

With bitter hate and sullen fear 
Its freedom-giving voice shall hear." 



The History of the Dominican Republic, including the 
Spanish Possession. 

"P ETURNINGr to the period when the Dominicans separ- 
^^ ated themselves from Hayti, whose people had revolted 
against its chief, President Boyer, we look in vain in the 
annals of the time, from 1843 to the present, for any period 
of six consecutive years of peace and tranquillity for the 
inhabitants of the Spanish part of St Domingo, 

Nothing but conspiracies, revolutions, and civil wars 
mark a period of some sixteen years, in which Hayti, by 
constant incursions, added to the troubles of her neighbour. 
In absolute despair, it would seem, of securing tranquillity 
in any other way, one of the Dominican chiefs ceded in the 
most arbitrary way to the Grovernment of Spain the island 
over which she had formerly had extreme control, by right 
of discovery and conquest. 

Immediately upon the giving to the breeze the flag of 
freedom by Duarte, the whole people of the Spanish part 
were in arms ; and it was declared free of Haytian rule in a 
formal manner February 27, 1844, a day that has ever 
since been kept sacred as the birthday of the Republic of 
Dominica. 

Carlos, surnamed Riviere Herard, who had succeeded 
Boyer in the direction of affairs in Hayti, receiving news 



248 SANTO DOMINGO. 

of this insurrection, marched by the southern route in 
March 184-4, to attack the Dominicans, as they now called 
themselves, with a force of 15,000 men ; but being opposed 
by General Santana near the town of Azua, hewas entirely 
defeated, March 19. and forced to retreat, reducing to ashes 
on his way that town, a fate to which it has since become 
well accustomed. 

About the same time a similar expedition was sent into 
the interior region of the island, the Cibao ; but meeting 
with a like fate, it was compelled to retreat ; and, following 
the example set by Dessalines, the country through which 
the army marched was laid waste with fire and sword. 

On the declaration of independence, a temporary Grovern- 
ment had been formed under a " Provisional Junta Gober- 
nativa ; " and there were two divisions in the island — the 
north with Duarte at its head, and the south with Santana 
for chief. 

On the 10th Julj^, however, Santana — who, covered with 
the laurels gained in his victory over the Haytians, had 
marched into the capital — was on the 12th proclaimed 
supreme chief of the new republic ; and in the following 
November, delegates from all parts of the island having 
assembled at San Cristobal, a constitution was formed and 
confirmed, Santana being elected by the spontaneous vote 
of all the towns of t'he island President. 

Santana, it appears, was an humble planter, who had been 
living a quiet life in his native district of Seybo, but called 
into action by the affairs of his country, he seems to have 
acted with great decision and bravery ; and being possessed 
of much landed wealth, is said to have used it freely in 
the service of his country. Without being either brilliant 
as a lawyer or a soldier, he was possessed of good sound sense. 

It would appear that he resigned his office in 1848 ; but 
Zimenes, his successor, playing into the hands of Soul- 
ouque, the latter was induced to make an incursion in 1849 
with 4000 men against the Dominicans. 



DESIRE FOR ANNEXATION. 249 

Santana being called upon to assume command of the 
troops, met tlie enemy at Ocoa, April 21, 1849, with only 
about 400 men, and succeeded in defeating Soulouque's 
army utterly. For this he received the name of '^ Liber- 
tador; " and Zimenes being declared unfit for his position, 
Santana, forcing him to resign, restored peace and tran- 
quillity to the republic, acting under the title of Dictator. 
But he became unpopular from not securing the recognition 
of the United States; and in 1849, Buenaventura Baez was 
elected President of the republic by a great majority of 
the electoral votes, — serving out his full term, it appears, 
with great honour to himself and advantage to the country, 
the republic being now recognised as having a political 
existence. v/ 

Hardly had Baez taken his seat as President, when he 
was waited on by a deputation from the Cibao district, 
bearing a petition signed by the most prominent men of 
all classes, asking him to open negotiations with the 
United States for the purpose of annexation. 

Baez does not appear to have favoured this at the time, 
and advised its postponement till a future day, assuming 
that the slavery existing in the United States made it 
inexpedient for a country so many of whose citizens were 
dark-skinned to ally itself thereto. 

No one can blame him for this, knowing full well, as he 
did, that his own status in the United States, as regards 
colour, would be hard to define ; while in some parts of the 
South he would have been placed on a par with the field- 
labourer of the plantation. It would appear he was persistent 
in maintaining these views until he saw that it had become 
a matter of necessity, and was decidedly the wish of the 
entire people of the republic. 

It really does seem as though for a few years the Domini- 
can people enjoyed a season of rest and improvement. 
The country was out of debt, the money in circulation, 
consisting of paper issues, had a value fixed by the Govern- 



250 SANTO DOMINGO. 

ment ; some attempts were made at organising an army 
and navy, stores and munitions for which were duly pur- 
chased ; while, more important than all, a mediation was 
obtained, in which Great Britain, the United States, and 
France united in securing peace from hostile neighbours. 

As the time for a new election drew near, Baez, who 
had identified himself with the party known as the clerical 
party, became unpopular with the people, who, it appears, 
thought more of the State than of the Church ; and in con- 
sequence, in 1853, Santana was duly elected President. 

There does not seem to be any reason to suppose that 
Baez acted in any improper way, or committed any act 
against this decision of the people, as he appears to have 
retired quietly to his estates in the vicinity of Azua. 

Santana, however, either mistrusting Baez, or jealous of 
the reputation he had acquired, seems to have acted more 
in keeping with the character of his former position as 
Dictator, rather than as President of a free republic ; for 
he decreed the banishment of the ex-president from the 
island, to which decree Baez appears to have yielded quiet 
submission. 

In order to settle the status of the clerical power, San- 
tana also made the Archbishop take the oath of allegiance 
to him as a power greater than the Church. 

On the 25th of February 1854, a congress of revision 
met in the capital, and confirmed the constitution of 1844, 
Santana promulgating the same as President of the repub- 
lic on the 27th, making a speech at the same time on the 
happy state of afi'airs existing. 

Although in the early part of this term Santana seems 
to have been very popular, and succeeded in repelling 
another attack made by the Haytian ruler Soulouque in 
1856, notwithstanding the mediation that had been formed, 
yet it would seem that administrative power was not 
one of his gifts, and affairs in the island became very 
unsettled ; the credit of the Government was lost, and 



INSURREGTIOI^ IN GIBAO. 251 

public opinion became so well fixed as to his incapacity 
for government, that he himself was compelled to confess 
his inability to control any longer its affairs ; and, there- 
fore, resigning his office, he retired to his place in the 
Seybo province. 

Curiously enough, however, he seems to have mistrusted 
the future, and made such preparations in retiring, by 
taking ample supplies of ammunition and arms, as would 
enable him, if he saw fit, to take an active part in future 
events if they should not prove to his satisfaction. 

It is stated that a movement that he made towards 
leasing the Bay of Samana to the United States was the 
real cause of the discontent against Santana in this term, 
particularly as this feeling was fostered by the representa- 
tives of foreign Grovernments, who, in fact, protested 
against the consummation of the treaty, which had been 
prepared by the agept of President Pierce. The change 
in Government put an end at that time to these negotia- 
tions. 

Baez at this time was out of the country, but all parties 
pretty generally seem to have united in requesting him to 
return and occupy the presidential chair, Santana himself 
even using his influence to induce the diplomatic corps to 
make use of their position to induce Baez to return, which, 
after several refusals, he finally concluded to do, taking 
his seat February 1, 1857. 

Hardly had he been installed in office, when attempts at 
insurrection in various parts of the island were made, all 
of which were put down, until there arose a more formid- 
able one in the region of the Oibao, of which the large and 
flourishing town of Santiago is the capital. 

This place, the centre of the tobacco trade, controlled 
principallj'- by foreign merchants, and with a population 
more largely composed of whites and active, enterprisiDg 
coloured people, has always had jealousy existing among 
its people against St Domingo city, as being the capital of 



252 SANTO DOMINGO. 

the island, it being contended that Santiago, laying aside 
the question of antiquity, has greater claims to hold that 
position. 

Here, then, a strong feeling, fostered it is said by the 
English agent, existed against Baez, which finally assumed 
the form of an irresistible rebellion ; and he was driven in 
1858 from the island, going to Europe to look after some 
private matters. 

We have here the first appearance in the active affairs of 
the island of Jose Maria Cabral, the intimate friend and 
schoolmate of Baez in former days, but latterly his poli- 
tical rival. He was with Baez at this time taking part 
in the various encounters of the rebellion against his 
authority, and remained for a time on the island after Baez 
had left; but his connection with that officer made him 
such an object of suspicion and persecution, that he, Cabral, 
found it convenient to depart also. 

Santana, who had taken an active part against Baez, 
was again called upon to preside over the afiairs of the 
Government, and it was through him the island passed 
eventually back to the Spaniards. 

Unable to preserve peace among the factions of the 
island, without means or resources for its government and 
improvement, set upon constantly by the Haytians, who 
on every occasion .and under every pretext sought an 
excuse to war upon the Dominicans, and regain pos- 
session of the whole island for themselves, Santana, 
it would seem, disheartened with affairs, and believing 
that some strong power was necessary to preserve the 
individuality of the Dominican territory, suddenly, and 
almost without consultation, either of the people of Domi- 
nica or their rulers, threw himself into the arms of Spain, 
giving up to its authority, in May 1861, the entire possession 
of the Spanish part of the island. 

It is a YQYj difficult matter, judging at this day from the 
chronicles of the times and the conflicting statements of 



J 



BRAVERY OF SANTAFA. 253 

friends or enemies of Santana, to form the proper estimate 
of his character ; but it is something to say in his favour 
that, up to the period of the Spanish annexation, he appears 
to have been to a great extent the idol of the population ; 
and even now the traveller frequently hears from the older 
people sentiments of the warmest admiration for the " Lion 
of Seybo," as he was called. 

Nominally the President at different times, he was, in 
fact, the dictator of the island, whose will was supreme law. 
His power over the masses of the people, it is said, was 
extraordinary ; and he did not hesitate to punish the most 
noted chiefs of the island. 

Many people may blame him, and do, for his desire of 
annexing the island to Spain ; but knowing what we do 
now of the Dominicans and their history, we can afford to 
look with greater leniency on this act, in the belief that, 
feeling the need of means and protection from a strong 
power, having had experience of the selfishness of the 
different leaders in their party quarrels, utterly ignoring 
the welfare of the country, and having a watchful foe like 
Hayti ever ready to avail herself of the troubles and dis- 
sensions in the island, he acted the part of a patriot and 
statesman in ceding to Spain the possession of a territory 
which had been identified with the glories of her past 
history. 

Charity will concede as much, we think, to a man whose 
memory to-day is revered; who, while alive, was always 
honest, and who, for himself, never despoiled the public 
treasury. Valiant without a rival, he was the first to hasten 
to battle, and his breast was the first presented to the balls 
of Haytian enemies. He gained with justice from his 
admiring countrymen the appellation of '^ Libertador de la 
Patria." 

In manner, Santana is said to have been rough and 
brutal, though, according to some authorities, he would be 
better characterised as determined. 



254 SANTO DOMINGO. 

Santana seems to have been really desirous of annexing 
the island to the United States ; but in this, it is said, he was 
frustrated by the threats and opposition of the French 
Consul- General at Port-au-Prince, Maxime Paybaud. He 
then offered it to France, and finally to Spain, sending for 
this purpose General Alfan to roake the offer. 

That the people of St Domingo were not generally con- 
sulted in this movement there can be no doubt, and even 
in some of ihQ cases where an effort was made to consult 
their wishes, a decision was given against this action. 

The whole scheme, it is said, — and appears to have been, 
— was a private one of Santana' s, who, calling together the 
commanders and governors of the different districts of the 
republic, informed them he had opened negotiations with the 
Spaniards to incor23orate into their monarchy the Domini- 
can republic ; and gave instructions how they were to treat 
the people in regard to securing their votes. 

Many of those Avho gave their votes testify they were not 
aware to what extent this plan of incorporation was to be 
carried ; and it is even stated that Santana himself was de- 
ceived eventually by the Spaniards. This may be believed if 
we read the treaty made between the two authorities, which 
seems just and reasonable enough, if its provisions had been 
fairly carried out, which they were not. 

This treaty embodies as follows : — 

1. That the industrial freedom shall be preserved without 
the power of slavery being re-established. 

2. That the republic of Dominica shall be considered as 
a provijice of Spain, and CDJoy the same privileges. 

3. The services of the greatest number possible of the 
men who have been of importance in the country since 1841, 
particularly those of the army, shall be recognised and have 
preference in appointments. 

4. That as one of the first measures, the Spanish Govern- 
ment shall recognise the responsibility of the paper circulat- 
ing in the island as money. 



TREATY WITH SPAIN. 255 

5. That it shall recognise as valid all acts of the Domini- 
can Governments that have succeeded one another in the 
island, from the birth of the republic. 

Spain denies that there was any previous treaty made for 
this incorporation, claiming that it was the spontaneous act 
of the people. 

Facts, however, do not corroborate this, for it appears 
the measures of the Spanish Government were taken with 
due deliberation, while the people of St Domingo were 
taken by surprise. In the circular sent by San tana to the 
governors, it was stated that Dominica was to be considered 
as a province of Spain. When the affair was consummated, 
and the treaty came to be signed, it was found that this 
was meant to be considered as Sb province heyond sea, to be 
governed as were Cuba and Puerto Rico. 

It will be curious to watch the opinions of the press in 
Spain as an exposition of Spanish sentiment and policy 
on American affairs on this St Domingo question; and we 
find the Cronica of 1861, spealdftg of the '^unexpected 
demonstration " in St Domingo^ accounts for it on these 
grounds: — 

''Fear of their enemies on the border, who wish to 
possess their territory ; mistrust of the United States in its 
aspirations; that, instructed by the lack of success of the 
republics of the Continent, they have hopes of sharing in 
the same benefits as Cuba and Puerto RicOj and that they 
want to be permanently governed. Tired of its own inde- 
pendence, and afraid of the encroachments of the United 
States, it seeks our protecting power. And with this island 
stretching its right hand to Puerto Rico and its left to Cuba^ 
we commence a new system^ giving us the control of the 

Gulf:' 

Nevertheless, they were a little fearful that the United 
States would interfere with this occupation; but that 
Government being busy with its own rebellion, took no 
steps against it, but eventually recognised the transfer. 
20 



256 SANTO DOMINGO. 



They claimed that " the principal service that St Do- 
mingo can render us, is that of preventing the North 
American race from getting a footing too near Cuba." 

A weak opposition only was manifested in Spain 
against this project, some of the papers stating, in order 
to create a feeling against it, that yellow fever constantly 
prevails in St Domingo, and Le Clerc's expedition was cited 
as an illustration of the fatal consequences that might be 
anticipated for the Spanish soldiers in taking possession. 

This charge was met by the assertion, " that while it is 
true that the Antilles are subject to this fever, it is also 
certain there are portions never affected by it, and among 
these is St Domingo, in which not a single Spaniard who 
has gone there has lost his life from it, but, on the con- 
trary, all live happy and contented." 

This transfer was consummated by Santana inviting the 
population of St Domingo city to meet in the cathedral 
square to witness the incorporation with Spain. 

Two war-steamers had been sent by Spain to Calderas 
harbour, and a number of Spanish officers had landed at 
St Domingo, without visiting any other parts; and on the 
day of this incorporation these two vessels of war came up 
abreast of the city. 

From daybreak of the 18th March 1861, signal was 
given of the solemn proclamation of the union of St Do- 
mingo, numbers of people circulated about the streets, and 
at six A.M. the ^^ plaza" was peopled by numbers of all 
classes, and a short time after began to arrive the troops 
that had constituted the garrison, all without arms. 

General Perez, chief of the capital, arrived with his 
staff, while senators, officers, and some persons of distinc- 
tion were present. 

General Santana made a speech from the balcony of the 
court of justice, informing the people what was to be done, 
and announcing, in accordance with the expressed wishes 
of the people (?), the alliance with Spain. 



ACT OF INCORPORATION'. 257 

Two prominent chiefs, who had heretofore manifested 
their opposition to the scheme, were by some means in- 
duced to remain tranquil, and though present, they, with 
the people, seem to have remained quiescent, offering no 
sign either of dissent or approval. 

The secretary of General Santana read the act of in- 
corporation, as follows : — 

^^ In the very noble and loyal city of St Domingo, on 
the 18th day of the month of March 1861, we the under- 
signed, met in the Hall of the Palace of Justice of this 
capital, declare, that of our free and spontaneous will, in 
our own name and that of those who have conferred the 
power upon us of acting for them, solemnly proclaim the 
Queen and Ladj^ the excellent Isabel II., in whose hands 
we deposit the sovereignty that until now we have exercised 
as members of the Republic of Dominica. We declare 
equally that it is our free and spontaneous will, as well as 
that of the people, who by our presence in this place we 
represent, that all the territory of the republic is annexed 
to the crown of Spain, to whom it belonged before the 
treaty of the 18th February 1855, in which her most 
Catholic Majesty recognised as a sovereign state that 
which to-day of its spontaneous will the people to it 
return this sovereignty. In witness of which," &c. 

Notice was at once sent to Governor Serrano at Cuba, 
and immediately troops to the number of 3000 poured in 
from that island and Puerto Rico, until further levies 
from Spain arrived, the whole number reaching eventually 
some 6000 men. 

But it must not be supposed that the incorporation went 
on thus smoothly all over the island; on the contrary, 
though I find records of documents purporting to be 
the will of the people of San Juan, San Antonio de 
Guerra, Pedro de Macoris, Baya Guana, Monte Plata, 
Savana la Mar, and Seybo, signed each by the governor 
or commandant, the parish priests, and one or two of the 



258 SANTO DOMINGO. 

prominent officials, as representing the will of tlie people, 
yet I do not find any record of the general popular will at 
snch places as Azua, Puerto Plata, Mocha, Yega, San- 
tiago, and Monte Cristo. 

On the contrary, I even find that at Macoris (San 
Francisco de) an attempt was made by the people of that 
town to dispute this action of the Government; but the 
governor of the place, putting a cannon in position -on 
the plaza, opened fire on the people, who were thus 
dispersed. 

Some time after, when troops had been landed at Puerto 
Plata, the ceremony of exchanging the Dominican for the 
Spanish banner took place, in presence of these armed 
bodies. 

'' Spain began her rule with fair and generous promises, 
but they were not fulfilled. She mistook entirely the 
temper of the Dominican people. She forgot that they 
were freemen, and had virtually been their own masters 
for three quarters of a century." 

So far from keeping close to a liberal reading of the 
terms of the treaty, no sooner was she assured of her pos- 
session of the island, than the promises to her ''most 
favoured " province were forgotten. In place of the im- 
provements promised, and the appointment of Dominicans 
to office, hordes of officials came from the two slaveholding 
islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba, and were placed in 
authority over the heads of free citizens, many of whom, 
from their colour, they professed to look upon as no better 
than bondsmen. 

A machinery of Government was established, oppressive 
and intolerable, for which the people were expected to pay, 
and calculations were made as though based upon an im- 
mense revenue, to be derived from a country flourishing 
in agriculture and commerce, and with a numerous and 
well-to-do population — ^just the reverse of the actual con- 
dition of the island. It is stated that the entire expenditure 



INSURREGTION. 259 

of the republic for the year preceding the Spanish annexation 
was but |241, 347, while the estimates for the year 1863, 
remitted to Spain for approval, amounted to |4,476,000, 
and this to be applied to the administration of a territory 
some 20,000 square miles in extent, containing less than 
150,000 inhabitants. 

The same policy that ruled in the slaveholding island 
of Cuba was endeavoured to be reproduced in St Domingo, 
and though some of the wiser and more enlightened minds 
of Spain protested against the folly of endeavouring to 
make a free people retrograde, the policy was persisted in, 
until it brought its own reward. 

Let us see what the Spaniards themselves say in their 
press. 

"' But if in this incorporation Spain proposes nothing 
else than a vain display of authority, if she seeks nothing 
more than a means of satisfying a horde of hungry agents, 
who hope to prosper at the expense of the country," &c. 

^' The Cabinet of O'Donnel could not accept the rein- 
corporation to Spain of Dominica, in order to condemn it 
to the same rules that were prevalent in the Antilles." 

At no time, while the Spaniards were in possession, was 
there perfect peace in the island. At St Domingo city, 
where were the principal headquarters of the officials, 
tranquillity and contentment, arising from the flow of 
Spanish gold, seem to have prevailed up to the very hour 
of the departure of the Spaniards; but in the other 
parts, especially in the Cibao and the north, great dis- 
content prevailed. 

Hardly a month elapsed before numbers of the Domini- 
cans opposed to annexation, who had gathered together 
in Haytian territory, promoted an insurrectionary move- 
ment. Geffrard, who hau become liie ruler of Hayti, on 
receiving news of the Spanish incorporation had protested 
against it, in which he was also joined by the representa- 
tives of France and England. Issuing a proclamation, in 



260 SANTO DOMINGO. 

wliich lie put forth doctrines that seem to be those of 
the present rulers of. Hayti, he held that " from the 
moment when two peoples inhabit the same island, their 
destinies, by sympathy or attempts of the stranger, are 
necessarily united. The political existence of the one is 
intimately allied to that of the other, and they are bound 
to guarantee one to the other their mutual safety." 

The negro population, fearful that the restoration of 
European power in the island would bring a return of 
slavery, sided with the Dominicans, claiming " that the 
proposed organisation given to the Island of St Domingo 
defrauded completely the people of those hopes they had for 
the future in their change of Government." 

With these views, the movement of the Dominicans 
sheltered in Haytian territory was encouraged; and at the 
head of this party was General Cabral, who had united with 
him several other prominent chiefs, among them General 
Sanchez. These, marching upon Santiago almost before 
the Spaniards had time to take possession, proclaimed a 
republic. 

Santana, who had marched to Azua on the appearance 
of opposition, from thence despatched General Alfau to 
the Cibao, where he was successful in putting down the 
republican movement, capturing nearly all the leaders 
except Cabral, who made his escape into Hayti, wounded 
and sick. 

Most of these prisoners, comprising the very best of the 
youth of the Cibao, were murdered in cold blood; and 
though for the time this had the effect of putting an end to 
any future attempts at rebellion, the fire of independence 
only slumbered, awaiting the slightest breath to fan it 
into flame. 

So heavily, however, did the Spanish rule weigh upon the 
people, that small revolts were constantly occurring in 
different parts of the island, and it seemed impossible to 
secure peace ; though it is stated that, with great nobility 



GENERAL BUG ETA, 261 

of character, the Dominicans did not at first revenge the 
cruelties perpetrated on them by the Spaniards, but even 
returned their prisoners on parole. 

Oppression, however, became so strong, that a general 
desire for freedom prevailed throughout the island, but 
particularly in the Cibao region, of which Santiago was 
the capital, where the Spaniards had, in the Fort St Louis, 
their principal headquarters. 

So serious did this feeling become, that the Spaniards 
seem to have become alarmed, and a general amnesty was 
declared to all, whether they had acted in opposition before 
annexation or in rebellion since. 

It was too late; the smouldering fire was not to be 
entirely quenched, especially with such rulers as General 
Buceta in command of the Cibao district. 

Stained with every crime, this man had been expelled 
as a criminal ofi'ender from Spain, but had at first been 
given the command of Samana, being afterwards removed 
to Santiago, where his greatest pleasure seems to have 
been in seeing how much he could torment the people 
over whom he was placed. He ruled with an iron hand: 
and the accounts of his brutality and cruelty are some- 
thing frightful, testified to, as they were, in my presence 
by priest and layman, man and woman. 

Although representations were made to higher authority 
asking for the removal of this Governor, no notice what- 
ever appears to have been taken of them ; and he retained 
his position "until at last the people, worn out with his 
cruelties and oppressions, as well as those of other officials, 
broke into open rebellion ; and at the mountain Capotillo 
near the village of Dajabon, an humble farmer, a country- 
man named Cabrera, raised the banner of revolt. 

This maUy utterly illiterate, not even knowing how to 
read or write, placed himself at the head of sixteen men 
in August 1863, and descended into the plain of Monte 
Cristo, where he was joined by Pimentel, Luperon, and 



262 SANTO DOMINGO. 

others, wko took possession of the small village of 
Savaneta. 

Here they were joined by a large body of Dominican 
refugees from Hayti, who, crossing the frontier, united their 
forces, then marched upon and took Dajabon, Guayubin, &c. 

A Spanish column that was despatched from Santiago 
to meet them was dispersed with slaughter, after being 
ambushed. General Buceta himself was left alone, and 
only by good luck made his way back to the city, where 
he assumed command, troops having arrived to support 
him. 

About 2000 Dominicans, however, marched down and 
took possession of Puerto Plata, but the arrival of the 
vessel of war Isabel IL^ which landed a force under cover 
of her guns, compelled them to evacuate it. 

From this beginning spread rapidly throughout the 
island the war against the Spaniards, who, so far from 
accepting this action as the wish of a free people, looked 
upon it as the action of revolted slaves. 

As the Dominican people have been reflected upon for 
their apparent readiness to accept the dominion of Spain 
and then, throw it off, I have, in order to be perfectly 
impartial in the matter, sought my information principally 
from Spanish sources; and I shall here quote the remarks 
of the Spanish press when the news came of this rising 
in St Domingo. 

After acknowledging that the island was not unanimous 
in favour of annexation, the Cronica says, " Now that it 
is done, the only way to pacify it is to leave the people as 
free as possible consistent with its subjection to Spain. 

'' Give to the Dominicans political liberty, economy of 
government, and peace, and in a few years its population 
will increase ; and so far from being a charge to us, it 
would bp a source of revenue for Spain. 

"In St Domingo there only needs labourers for agricul- 
ture, for industry, for the arts; it needs a great immigra- 



WAR WITH SPAIN. 263 

tion from Europe if it is to prosper ; it is a healthy country, 
a virgin country. 

"The responsibility of the O'Donnel Cabinet is not in 
having accepted annexation, but in not having secured it, 
converting it in their hands into an element powerful and 
beneficial for Spain." 

And when the pride and ire of Spain was roused by the 
further news that came of the probability that the insur- 
rection could not be subdued, "Let us promptly quell 
this insurrection with all our forces, and this done, let us 
restore to the Dominicans those rights and privileges oj 
which we have robbed them. 

" The Duke of Tetuan began by attacking in place of 
respecting existing customs, first of which was the religion 
that for forty years had been tolerated. 

" The Archbishop Monijan had hardly arrived when 
he ordered the Protestant churches to be closed. Before 
the annexation an interment cost $60, after his arrival 
it cost |500. 

" They have deprived the islanders of ofiice, some of the 
most prominent men having been removed, and they have 
inflicted upon the island a horde of rapacious officials. 

"This was the error; people that have once tasted of 
liberty, before resigning themselves to lose it, prefer 
death. They should then have respected the franchises 
and liberties of the Dominicans, without taking into 
account the rule that governs for the other of its Antilles. 
In fact, the Island of St Domingo, in place of gaining, 
has lost." 

So positive, however, were the Spaniards in their deter- 
mination not to relinquish the island, that in April 1864, 
in the Cortes, the Minister, President of the Council, said 
"they would fight in the Island of St Domingo until they 
triumphed, calling forth all their resources, smce they 
would not permit an atom of territory to be alienated from 
Spain." 



264 SANTO DOMINGO. 

But it is amusing to read, when things became desperate, 
how some of those very writers who had previously been 
loudest in praise of St Domingo now saw fit to depreciate 
it, and so wrote : '' The people, accustomed to a solitary 
life in the woods, can, owing to the lack of roads and 
population, maintain a constant guerilla warfare. There 
are Dominicans who cross entire leagues of earth leaping 
froin tree to tree^ without touching the ground with the 
soles of their feet ; and, born in this climate, they do not 
suffer from the fevers that attack the European who risks 
his life in their woods." 

I have neither the space in this volume nor the inclina- 
tion to detail the horrors of this war, that continued until 
1865, in which every atrocity which the human mind 
can conceive was committed ; and the details of some of 
the acts of the Spanish officials show that, while they have 
not forgotten the example of crimes perpetrated in this 
very island by their bloodthirsty ancestors, the civilisation 
of the present day has done nothing towards softening 
those instincts engendered by the blood of these same 
ancestors. 

I well remember, being in Cuba at this period, how the 
blood was chilled by the accounts we received from the 
neighbouring isle of St Domingo; and the inhabitants of 
the former beautiful isle little thought then that in a few 
short years these same scenes of Spanish cruelty and 
oppression were to be enacted on their own shores by their 
tyrannical masters. 

So general became this revolt against the Spaniards in 
St Domingo, that many of those who had finally accepted 
the government of Spain were now heartily opposed to it, 
and in rebellion against its authority. 

Among these, G-eneral Baez, who had taken the oath of 
allegiance, and had visited Spain, where he was made a 
General of Division, was found. 

General Cabral, who at first had revolted, as we have 



J 



SPANISH ATROCITIES. 265 

seen, but afterwards recognised the sovereignty of Isabella, 
having, through the intercession of Baez, been pardoned, 
and taken the oath of allegiance, united with Baez in 
efforts to succour their country, taking refuge in Hayti, 
where they sought help from Geffrard, even offering him. 
it is said, a portion of the Dominican territory at present 
comprising part of the province of Azua. 

Suffice it to say here, however, that the Spaniards, being 
eventually compelled to leave the island, they left it as 
near as human hands could make it a waste of desola- 
tion; and the traveller to-day will find hardly a spot in 
this beautiful land that does not bear testimony in a ruined 
town, well-filled graves, or a desolated household, of this 
last epoch of the " Time of the Spaniards." 

It was a bitter pill for the pride of Spain to be com- 
pelled to relinquish her hold upon the island; and the 
press was free in its denunciations of those who, by their 
acts had brought about this state of affairs. 

" And the Archbishop of St Domingo, who is now at 
Toledo — what has he done? We must be severe, for the 
greater the rank, the position, and the power, the greater 
the responsibility. He went there filled with old-fashioned 
ideas of the time of the Inquisition ; he found Protestant 
chapels, he wished to shut them; he met with Protestant 
families, he wished to expel them; he encountered j)eople 
legitimately married by Protestant ceremony, he wished 
to separate them. To paint the harm this great imprud- 
ence has done is impossible." 

At last, by an act of the Cortes, March 3, 1865, the 
island of St Domingo was declared free again, Spain pro- 
testing that in 1861 she had only listened to the voices 
of the Dominicans in asking for annexation, as she did 
now for separation. 

But even before the Spaniards took their departure, a 
quasi-form of Government had been effected ; for in August 
1863, after Buceta had been defeated at Santiago, the 



266 SANTO DOMINGO. 

town burned, and lie compelled to withdraw into the fort, 
the Dominicans marched down to Puerto Plata, and there 
proclaimed the new republic, with Pepillo Salcedo as its 
first President. But he, being suspected of collusion with 
the Spaniards, was overthrown by Greneral Polanco, who 
was proclaimed President : until Pimentel, whom we have 
already seen among the first to take up arms, following 
this example, headed a movement against Polanco, and he 
became President, and remained so at the time of the 
departure of the Spanish troops. And thus, by a series of 
events peculiar to St Domingo, before it had ceased to be 
part of a monarchy it had already been three times a 
republic. 

Pimentel, who seems to have been only a simple farmer, 
blessed with good common sense, but no education what- 
ever, joining the patriot forces with no other object than 
to benefit his country, became by force of circumstances 
its chief. 

Santana, meanwhile, the former great leader, who had 
been made Captain- G-eneral, but had resigned his position 
and retired to his farm until the rebellion broke out, when 
he offered his services to the Spaniards, had just died in 
St Domingo city, without having gained any reward for 
his efforts to settle the country — dying, in fact, it is said, 
from sorrow and mortification at seeing the cruelties in- 
flicted on his countrymen by the very men whom he had 
aided to bring into it. 

A strong feeling at this time was manifested in favour of 
annexation to the United States. When the Spaniards left, 
Pimentel, however, found he had a rival in General Cabral, 
who, with the military chief Manzueta, was at the head of 
the troops of the south at the capital ; and as soon as the 
place was evacuated, they availed themselves of the absence 
of Pimentel, then on the frontier resisting an attempt of 
Salnave to overthrow Geffrard, to march into the city and 
proclaim against Pimentel. 



% 



GENERAL GABRAL, 267 

The latter, when he heard of this new aspirant for Presi- 
dent, tendered his resignation; and Cabral was proclaimed 
Protector by the voices of a few hundred people gathered 
in the plaza at St Domingo city, being incited thereto by 
the friends of Cabral, August 4, 1865. 

The rest of the island seems to have known nothing of 
this new movement, and the entire district of the powerful 
Cibao seems to have been entirely unconsulted ; but this is 
the way Governments are made in this famous island. A 
few hundred people gather together, and shout " Yive 
Cabral ! " " Vive Polanco ! " and the fortunate chief called 
declares himself the Government. 

Cabral, however, who, it appears, had made use of the 
plea that he was acting for Baez, did not remain long undis- 
turbed; for the people, finding out his desire to become their 
ruler, grew restless. A decree Fas then issued by Cabral 
calling for a Congress to elect regularly a President, and 
form a constitution. On the 25th September. 1865, the 
Convention for framing a constitution met after eight days 
had been passed in electing members. During this delay. 
General, Pedro Guillermo organised a movement in the 
Seybo province ; and a party formed at the town of Higuey. 
Taking for their watchword, ^' Cabral, Manzueta, and. Baez," 
they marched to Seybo without opposition ;: but arriving 
before the walls of the capital, they, were denied entrance by 
the people, (though it appears Cabral was willing enough 
to allow them to enter). He, however, went to San Cristobal 
to raise troops to oppose this movement, leaving Pimentel 
in the city, who, entering into league with Guillermo, pro- 
nounced for Baez as President. 

It must be understood that Baez was not in the country ; 
but in almost every movement that had taken place in the 
island, the eyes of the people seem to have searched out 
Baez as the only man who had the ability and disposition 
to govern them honestly. Even Santana had stated that 
he made the Spanish annexation in order to have Baez 



268 SANTO DOMINGO. 

as Governor of tlie island ; and no sooner had the war of 
the Spaniards assumed a favourable aspect, than Salcedo, 
one of the revolutionary chiefs, had written to Baez, pray- 
ing him for his country's sake to come and assume control 
of the Government. 

Guillermo, being permitted to enter the city, assumed 
command; but the Congress refused to recognise his 
authority, claiming that Cabral, as Protector, represented 
the Government until a President was regularly appointed. 
By an article of the constitution it was provided that Con- 
gress should appoint the first President, and they, it appears, 
were decidedly in favour of Cabral; but Manzueta, acting 
in connection with Guillermo, both of whom professed to 
represent the wishes of the entire island, and not that of 
the capital alone, walked into the congressional halls, and 
announced to the members, drawing his sword at the same 
time as a weighty argument, that they must elect Baez as 
President, which it appears they did ; and there seems no 
reason to doubt that this was really in accord with the 
wishes of the people, with whom Baez was now particularly 
popular, as being the advocate of the doctrine of universal 
suffrage. 

A commission was formed in October 1865 of some of the 
most prominent citizens, for the purpose of proceeding to 
the neighbouring island of Curacoa, and inviting General 
Baez to come and assume the reins of government. Although 
I do not find that Baez used any efforts to bias public 
opinion, yet the desire at this time appears to have been 
unanimous throughout the island that Baez should be called 
to be President- Even Cabral solicited appointment as one 
of the commissioners, and Pimentel and other prominent 
chiefs pronounced decidedly for Baez. But it was only 
after repeated efforts that Baez finally concluded to accept 
the invitation, and in forming his cabinet, Cabral received 
the appointment of Minister of War, while Pimentel was 
made Secretary of tlie Interior, 

4 



1 



CABRAL'S PROJECTS. 269 

In December 1865 a new constitution was formed, but 
this only lasted until the following April, when it was set 
aside, and the constitution originally adopted under San- 
tana in 1854 substituted for it. 

Cabral, it appears, is a man who has always had ambitious 
projects for himself, desiring positions which he has not the 
ability to fill. Born in St Domingo, he was partially 
educated in England, where he passed several years of his 
life, when, returning to the island, and becoming mixed 
up in its military affairs, he gained considerable experi- 
ence in the practical duties of war-making on a small 
scale. A tall, raw-boned mulatto, of much bravery, he 
was well calculated for a guerilla leader ; but in the admini- 
strative duties of Minister of War he seems to have fallen 
into his proper place of a mere cipher ; and becoming dis- 
gusted with his position, he, under plea of ill-health, sought 
a refuge in Curagoa ; and from there, with a certain General 
Valverde, began his machinations to overthrow Baez. In 
this they were joined by Pimentel, whoj claiming that the 
change of constitution was a farce, attempted to provoke 
insurrections against Baez, and incited the people of the 
Cibao to rebel. 

Baez, in this case, appears to have behaved with great 
magnanimity, for though he had Pimentel in his power 
after his treason, he does not seem to have treated him 
harshly ; and finding that Cabral had sought refuge in 
Hayti, from whence he designed making an attempt on St. 
Domingo, he sent him word that, in order to save blood- 
shed, he, Baez, would resign his position, and Cabral could 
come and take it. 

This conspiracy against Baez, it appears, united together 
Pimentel, Cabral, and Yalverde, the pretext they used being 
that Baez had altered the constitution ; but it is evident 
there were other more truthful reasons to be found in their 
individual ambition and jealousy of each other. 

The words of Baez himself perhaps give the best idea 



270 SANTO DOMINGO, 

of matters at this time. " There are documents in circula- 
tion proving that I was called back to the country, in 
which documents the names of Cabral, Pimentel, Man- 
zueta, Garcia, and others, almost all those who appear in 
the revolutionary ranks, are prominent. I have in my 
possession a large number of letters from all the generals — 
perhaps one or two may be excepted— congratulating me 
on my return, and offering me their services. 

"Notwithstanding this, within the '^yq months that I 
have been in power, I have had to face as many rebellions ; 
and let it not be said that they have been provoked by 
measures taken by my Government, for the first one broke 
out a few hours before I took the oath. 

" Wearied with fighting against factions, and wishing. to 
prevent civil war, as soon as I had knowledge of the last 
insurrection in the Cibao, I sent General Pimentel to those 
provinces, but he was not able to fulfil my wishes; or avoid 
bloodshed. The people of their own free, will preferred to 
fight, and Cibao is to-day the theatre of civil war, which 
I behold with sorrow, and desire to stop. .... 

" You will inform him (Cabral) that I am by all means 
determined to leave the Presidency for a more capable or 
more fortunate person." 

Baez, therefore, with some of his adherents, left the 
country and went to Curacjoa, while Pimentel, the emissary 
of Baez to the people of the Cibao, and who had traitorously 
deserted his cause, entered the city of St Domingo with 
Garcia and Luperon, and in August 1866 they formed a 
triumvirate. 

As all these men were Cibaoyens, it was not long before 
there was a jealous fear against them in the capital, the 
inhabitants of the south believing they would remove the 
capital to Santiago ; and Cabral, availing himself of this 
feeling, used it to secure his own election as President ; 
but he seems only to have been made the puppet for more 
designing men, and the country during his rule seems to 



INAUGURATION OF BAEZ. 271 

have been constantly in trouble, and no improvements 
made. 

Such was the strait to v^hich matters v^ere reduced, that 
Cabral endeavoured to lease the Bay of Samana to the 
United States for two millions of dollars ; but as his 
Government would not give entire control over it, the matter 
fell through for the time, until, in 1868, Pujol was sent to 
Washington by Cabral to renew the negotiations, and it 
was stated that affairs had become so desperate, he must 
offer Samana to the United States. 

Baez, whose friends were then heading a movement to 
overturn Cabral, issued a proclamation against this attempt 
to transfer the soil of the republic ; and the reader curious 
in. such matters will find in the Appendix three proclama- 
tions all under identically the same heading, but showing 
how ideas are likely to chauge under various circumstances. 

In Marcb 1868 Baez again became President of the 
Dominican republic, and the people apparently were so 
glad to welcome him back again, that they offered to make 
him Dictator, which very wisely he declined; but he still 
remains the President, evidently to the satisfaction of the 
people, a few only of some ambitious leaders desiring for 
their own purposes to throw the country into a state of 
revolution. 

Cabral meanwhile has been constantly on the Haytian 
border, making petty inroads with a force of all the vaga- 
bonds of the country, not large enough to accomplish 
anything of moment, yet quite large enough to keep a 
peaceful people in a state of unrest and anxiety. 

Baez, since his new inauguration, finding what was tlie 
unanimous wish of the people, seeing what were the great 
necessities of the island, has, I believe, been earnest and 
honest in endeavouring to bring about annexation to the 
United States ; and whether he is not wise in this, I leave 
the intelligent reader to judge for himself from the fore- 
going facts. 
21 



272 SANTO DOMINGO. 

As tlie Dominican Secretary of State said to me, '' St 
Domingo wants a strong Grovernment, whicli we cannot 
have so long as she remains isolated and exposed to the 
attacks of Hayti and the conspiracies of ambitious chiefs. 
With annexation to the United States we hope will come 
]3eacey immigration, capital, roads, and the development of 
all the interests of the island." 

Thns, with persecution and bloodshed, and in frequent 
revolution, has the present rej)ublic of Dominica been born. 

It is in theory a constitutional republic, the government 
of which is divided into three branches, the executive, legis- 
lative, and judicial. 

The first consists of a President and Yice-president, 
elected by an electoral college for a term of six years, with 
a difference of three years in the time of their election. 
Both of these officers are ineligible to the presidency on 
the following terms. 

The President appoints a Council of State, consisting of 
a minister of public instruction, of the police, of the 
interior and of agriculture, of public works and commerce, 
and of war and marine. On one of these four ministers 
the duties of minister of foreign affairs devolves at the will 
of the President. 

The legislative branch of the Government consists of a 
Senate elected by* the primary assemblies, and has two 
members for the city of St Domingo, two for Santiago, 
and one for each of the other provinces and districts — nine 
members in all. 

These hold office for six years, and may be re-elected. 

Each province and district has a governor, and each 
parish and military post has a commandant nominated by 
the executive, and responsible to him. 

The towns are governed by ayuntamientos or councils, 
elected by the primary assemblies for three years, and are 
constituted of as fine a body of intelligent, educated men as 
can be found in any similar organisation. 



PETTY LEADERS. 273 

Each town or commune also possesses an alcalde, a sort 
of justice of the peace, who is appointed during good 
behaviour by the President, and I am happy to bear testi- 
mony to their high standing. 

The laws are administered by a supreme court sitting at 
the capital, and there should be minor courts in all the 
different provinces or districts ; but, from the state of affairs 
existing in the island, these cannot be said to be now 
in operation. 

One of the greatest curses to which the island is sub- 
jected is the great number of petty leaders which the fre- 
quent revolutions have brought into existence. Many of 
these men, with no other qualification than that of personal 
bravery, and having a number of followers who look upon 
them as their chief, presume to hold themselves subject to 
any leader who will look after their individual interests. 

Holding the rank of general, the numbers of their com- 
mand would not in many cases amount to a corporal's 
guard; and yet they receive pay, and wield a certain 
power, entirely disproportionate to their actual influence 
for good, though for bad it is incalculable. 

Some of these generals are actually possessed of such 
crude ideas, that the author was asked by them what 
would be their rank in the United States in the event of 
annexation; and he was considerably amused at seeing the 
dubious expression that overcame their countenances when 
told it would be the proud one of " citizen," with perfect 
liberty to go when and where they would — to work. 



CHAPTER XY. 

' Here trees for ever green adorn their shoots 
At once with blossoms and with ripening fruits- 
Fruits that with fragrant nectar richly flow ; 
Here all the flowers through every season blow.' 



Journey Overland — Orgajtising a Party — Our Route — Crossing 
the Ozama — Tropical Forests — Lunching ^^ al fresco'' — First 
Night Experiences — La Tosa — San Pedro — Natural Farm — 
Bad Roads — Apartments — The Country People — Rough Ex- 
periences — Grand Scenery — Sillon de la Viuda — Serico — Ride 
to Cotuy. 

ANE of the most curious things in connection with St 
^ Domingo is the astonishing ignorance of many inhabi- 
tants in reference to localities which they have not visited. 
I have met men who for years had lived on the island in 
one place, who gave me the most ridiculous and exaggerated 
accounts of other parts, of which they had only heard. 
Thus, on the north coast, they spoke to me of the Cibao 
region and the interior town of Santiago as though it were 
a matter of the greatest and almost insuperable difficulty to 
visit them ; and the word '^ Cibao " carries almost as much 
mystery to the ears of the modern traveller as it did to 
Columbus when he confounded it with Cipango. When, at 
St Domingo city, it was proposed to cross the island by 
land, people seemed to think a man must be either crazy, 
or that he expected to derive some mysterious benefit from 
such a trip ; and we were mysteriously told the trip was 
almost an impossibility, and accompanied with unheard-of 
dangers and risks. When it became known that one of 
the United States Commissioners intended to penetrate 



J 



TRIP TO THE NORTH COAST, 275 

into the interior, and ascertain for himself the opinion of 
people there, heads were gravely shaken, and remarks made 
about the safety of trusting himself amongst the people of 
that region. 

The Grovernment authorities were, however, very kind in 
offering every assistance, and advising the trip to he taken ; 
and having made up my mind individually to ^- do " the 
island as well as possible, I was only too glad to accept 
Mr Commissioner White's invitation to join him in his 
trip across to the north coast. A party was therefore 
organised, consisting of the Honourable Andrew D. White, 
United States Commissioner, Professor W. M. Gabb, 
Surveyor to the Creological Company of New York, Doctor 
H. B. Blackwell, of the Boston Press, and the author of 
these pages ; and our preparations were made in such a 
manner as would lead one to think we were about to start 
upon a tour in the prairies. 

Horses were fitted out with M'Clellan saddles and equip- 
ments for riding, while others were prepared with immense 
straw panniers (macutas), in which to carry supplies : 
servants were engaged; while, almost of more importance, 
strong canvas hammocks were secured for each of us. 

Early, therefore, on the morning of the 21st February, 
our adieux having been said the previous day, we gathered 
at headquarters, blankets, cloaks, and umbrellas strapped 
to our saddles, while our general wardrobes had been 
bestowed in the smallest possible kits to place in the 
panniers. 

Shades of dignified pompous officials ! what would ye have. 
said to have seen this distinguished emissary of a great 
nation (only outdone by his followers) so lost to the *' con- 
venances " of official position as to wear his pants inside 
his boots, a fireman's shirt without collar enveloping his 
person, while on that head from whose piercing orbits were 
to go the rays that should carry yea or nay to this aspiring 
island, was placed a most undignified, natty-looking, but 
perfectly comfortable " wideawake "? 



276 SANTO DOMIIWO: ^^ ^ 

The guerilla appearance^of the rest of the party, however, 
was redeemed by the eminently respectable appearance of 
the venerable-looking '' Doctor." 

But, vamons senores ; we are now out over the hills of 
San Carlos, where we stopped for a few minutes to organise 
more perfectly our cavalcade, and from which old village 
we had our last view of St Domingo city. 

A beautiful sight indeed on this fresh, bright morning 
in February, with the atmosphere as clear as ether, the sky 
as blue as cobalt ; and there at our feet the historic, sleepy 
old town, its moss-covered walls and vine-clad towers, with 
the graceful palms shooting up from walled courtyards, 
making a strange, yet beautiful and interesting picture, to 
which the bright blue sea, with its foam-crested waves, 
formed a sparkling, spirited background. 

Putting spurs to our horses, we soon got over the inter- 
vening four miles that separated us from the ferry by which 
we were to cross the Isabella, an arm of the Ozama, the 
rive^upon which St Domingo city is located. 

The road up to this point had been fair enough, running 
through ordinary rolling land, tolerably well settled with 
the small huts of the negro or the better one of the white 
inhabitant ; the land being chiefly covered with scrubby 
vegetation, groups of palms, and the '' platano " plantations, 
upon the products -of which the inhabitants principally rely 
for meat, bread, and vegetables. This, being a coarse kind of 
banana, with a dry, mealy flesh, is either boiled or roasted. 

Our first arrival at the ferry seemed to make no impres- 
sion on the negro boatmen on the other side, for they appeared 
in no hurry to bring their flat boat to our assistance, until 
the energetic ^' cussing" of the Professor, accompanied by 
the waving of an official document and the shout of " official 
service," served to startle them into comiug over for us — 
the ferry-boat being a huge flat boat, and the machinery 
the ferrj^-rope. The river here was more than fifty yards 
wide, perfectly clear, running swiftly between low marshy 
banks ; but immediately after crossing, we made a steep 



CAMPING-OUT. 



277 



ascent up a muddy, rough path to higher land, where, 
striking the main road, we continued our journey, our way 
being almost continually through the woods, which, though 
interesting to us from the strange appearance of plants and 
trees,. it would not be so to describe. We were glad, there- 
fore, when, at noon, the sun being hot enough even to 




Crossing the Isabella. 

penetrate the thick foliage on the road, the announcement 
was made of our mid-day resting-place. 

This was upon the banks of a small fresh-water stream, 
known as ^^ El Yuco," whose limpid waters furnished us 
the fluid for some cold rum -punch, concocted of the sour 
orange (naranja agria), picked from overhanging trees, the 
juice of which, incorporated with some native (Dominican) 
rum, made a most capital punch. This was our first camp- 
ing-out experience ; and, if the party is to be believed, no 
such repast had been ever enjoyed before as was this 
frugal meal of " sardine " sandwiches and cold punch. 

The propriety, however, was suggested to Mr White, of 
trying some of that champagne that had been^ according 



27^ 



SAXTO DO^LINaO. 



to tlie newspapers, so liberally furnislied among tlie Com- 
missioners' supplies, and wliicli would serve to lighten our 
loads in more senses tlian one ; but we were informed be 
bad seen none of it: and I am sadly compelled to acknow- 
ledge tbere was none on tbis trip. 

To complete our grandeur, we were supplied with music 
by a peripatetic musician, wbo, witli a com] anion, happened 

to come up wbile we were 
luncbing, and wbo, in re- 
turn for bospitality ex- 
tended tbem, favom-ed us 
witb some music (?) from 
a liuge guitar be carried. 
^^^Ci^^^~'^*^^^^^^b^^r|j and wbicb, being tbe only 

baggage be bad. enabled 
bim to travel from tbe one 
end of tbe island to tbe 
otber without difficulty. 

Being recuperated, we 
were again on horseback, 
picking our way through 
\\\Q muddy road of tbe forest, in which, from time to 
time, our ears were saluted by sharp reports as though, of 

pistol - firing ; 




Musician. 




these came, liow 



ever, trom 
biguero. or, 
we call it. 



the 

as 

the 



'"'* sand-box "' tree, 
tbe fruit of which 
resembles some- 
what that article, 
being a tomato- 
sbaped corrugated 
fruit, wbicb, be- 
coming dry, is, by the beat of tbe sun, caused to explode. 



Sand-box Fruit. 



NATURAL FARM. 



279 



These explosions take place only at mid-day, when the 
sun is intensely hot ; and their reports are at times quite 
startling. 

After some miles of riding we came out into the open, upon 
beautiful savannas, which, though somewhat more rolling, 
yet bear the generic name of ''Llanos" op prairies ; and 
which would seem to have been thrown here by nature as 
natural farms, for the land was of the very best deep black 
soil, covered with long, rich grass ; while here and there 
were belts of timber. 




A Natural Farm. 



The country reminded me much of the Minnesota 
bottom lands, except that here the horizon was bounded by 
beautiful views of cloud-capped mountains, to whose very 
feet rolled these magnificent plains, all ready for the hand 
of the husbandman. As evening was now drawing on, it 
was deemed advisable to select a place to rest for the 
night, particularly as some of our party, not being accus- 
tomed to horseback riding, might suffer from a first ride of 
twenty miles, and especially over such roads as we had had. 



280 SANTO DOMINGO. 

This we did, stopping at La Tosa^ as the estancia 
(farm) was called, being a simple negro-hon^e, with one 
or two oiit-bnildings, all constructed in the rudest manner, 
the farm occupying a little knoll in one of the above savan- 
nas, while back of it was a belt of timber, through which 
was a small stream of clear water. As we had ridden on 
quite rapidly, we had to await the arrival of our pack-horses, 
pending which all hands laid themselves out for a siesta 
upon the blankets and ponchos we spread upon the ground, 
and we were soon oblivions, even of the calls of hunger, 
until the noise made by the arrival of the train awakened 
us to the fact that it was the hour for supper, which meal 
with us, on our journey, usually meant dinner too. 

Alas ! for all human hope, our joy at the arrival of our 
train soon was turned to grief, for one of the stupid brutes, 
not knowing the valuable nature of a part of his cargo, 
attempted, while the panniers were still upon him, to refresh 
himself with a roll on the grass, whereupon, the large glass 
demijohn that contained our entire sujoply of rum was 
utterly smashed, and that precious fluid escaped. Our grief 
was great, and we were only restored to good-humour by 
the indignant manner of Simon, who had just arrived with 
the balance of the train, being gravely told by the '' Pro- 
fessor" that his horse was so tired he had been stood up 
against the house', but unfortunately had lost his balance 
and fallen over. 

Simon, our muleteer, never liked to have any remarks 
passed upon the quality of the horses he furnished us, 
though, in truth, they were none of the best. 

However, the Professor and I, being old campaigners, 
soon had our preparations made, with the assistance of 
" Francisco," for the disposal of the various edibles we had 
extracted from our cans of preserved vegetables and meat, 
and such was the effect, that no sooner was supper ended 
than some of the party immediately took to their ham- 
mocks for rest, which, in the case of the Commissioner, was 



HAMMOCKS. 281 



soon consummated by sound slumber, in spite of the trifling 
inconveniences of bat, clotbes, and boots. 

Have you ever swung in a hammock, dear reader ? If not, 
I assure you tbere is a new sensation in store for you. In 
St Domingo it is as much a part of tbe republic as the 
people themselves. 

Those we bad were made of stout canvas about six feet 
long and five wide ; at each end are a number of cords at 
regular intervals, which, fastened thus to the hammock at 
one end, are united in a huge knot at the other, and to 
this a strong cord being attached, the hammock can be 
slung to a beam or attached to a ring in the wall, and 
thus be suspended in the air like a huge bag. It is a 
great institution, and I believe has been introduced since 
into the States by every member of the party. 

Our first night was troubled with those pests the fieas, 
and they had even no respect for the august body of the 
'' Commissioner ; " for that high priest of Cornell was 
discovered late in the evening filling his shirt with pul- 
verised camphor, said to be a sure preventive. 

The Professor and I, protected by the clouds of smoke 
emitted by our pipes, and in which we had indulged while 
trying to restrain the Doctor from some fearful witticisms, 
fared rather better ; but, notwithstanding these little in- 
conveniences, including the advent of a stray dog into the 
hut in search of some friendly bone, we all managed to 
get a good night's rest in this our first night's camping- 
ont in St Domingo. 

The day w^as yet young when we turned out of our bags, 
the Doctor and I going down to a neighbouring brook to 
be invigorated by a bath in the cool waters of a limpid 
stream. 

The dew lay heav}' on the luxuriant grass ; and as we 
passed through the woods, the air was fragrant with the 
odour of the rich vegetation, while the oranges in large 
numbers hung with their golden cheeks wet with the 



282 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



morning dew. The air, too, was quite fresh and bracing, 
as it nearly always is in this island of an early morning. 

Selecting a little spot in the stream formed into a 
natural pool, we enjoyed the clear, cool freshness of the 
water, which a short distance above us came bubbling 
over mossy rocks ; in fact, the whole scene might have 
passed for some little bit in the Adirondacks, had it 
not been that an immense tree fallen across the stream 
was covered with the parasites and plants peculiar only to 
the tropics. 

Meanwhile the Commissioner, as became his custom on 
the journey, had called the family and some neighbours 
together, and extracted from them their views about 
annexation, and the condition of the people in the 
vicinity. 

The master of the house was a fair type of the people 

wlio are pretty generally 
scattered throughout the 
island as the country people 
(paisanos), and who con- 
stitute pretty much the 
agricultural class. Those 
of a lighter- colom*, or 
white, are more apt to be 
found as hateros or herds 
men, raising cattle, and 
are a brighter, more intel- 
ligent class. 

This old negro had a 
wife and two grown-up 
sons, and lived on a farm 
of about 200 acres, the 
^ ^ ^ only building of any 
account upon it being this 
Old Negro. dwclling, whlch was one 

of the simple palm-houses of the country, containing only 




0ZA3IA RIVER, 283 



two rooms. He raised a few cattle and grew some cane, 
coffee, and a few fruits, without much trouble, and without 
the slightest system in his labours. 

Upon asking him why, with so much land and such 
apparently comfortable means, he did not have a house 
and a garden, and improve his place, he told the same 
story we had so often heard of revolutions, and raids, and 
forcible enlistments. He stated, also, he had previously had 
a fine house, and had the means to build one now, but 
that he with the rest of the people were discouraged by 
the unsettled future. 

His sons seemed to be willing enough to work at |6 
per month, and spoke with some interest about the possi- 
bility of a road being made that would require the labour 
of the young men. But I am afraid, in long contracts, the 
" dias de fiesta" would either interfere with the work, or 
else the principles of the labourers would have to suffer. 

In the saddle again, we rode for some eight miles over 
some superb rolling prairies, capable of being made into 
the finest sugar-plantations. The day, clear and bright, 
fairly sparkled with the purity of the atmosphere — an 
every-day occurrence here, however, except in the rainy 
season of May and following, months. 

Again we struck the Ozama river, the same that we had 
left deep and dark at St Domingo city, but here swiftly 
rushing along over its gravelly bed, its waters clear as 
crystal, tempting the wearied horseman as he fords it by 
its cool, refreshing look and taste. 

Biding through this valley of the Ozama, we find the 
country almost entirely unsettled, although the land can 
be had for the asking ; but the population is sparse, and 
rarely do we see a house, though a rough wooden cross stuck 
up at the side of some hardly discernible path tells the 
wearied traveller that, on following the trail, a habitation 
of some kind will be found, it may be a few yards or a 
mile away. 



284 



SANTO DOMINGO, 



Traversing now a heavil}^ -wooded country, tkrongh 
which the merest apology for a road is found in the simple 
clearing out of the underbrush and the cutting down of 
,the trees that may happen to stand in the direct line, w^e 
came out upon a level tract or savanna known as La 
Luisa, which, covered with long tall grass, is similar to 
some of our Illinois prairies, though much more beautiful 
and diversified, and upon the surface of which lies here 
and there the water which, from frequent rains, is so abun- 
dant all through this part of the island. 

Exactly such savannas I have seen in Cuba turned into 




A Native Hut. 



splendid sugar estates, the land ditched and dry, while 
the water was carried into well-constructed reservoirs or 
conducted to the mills. 

Although a; tropical shower was passing over our heads, 
we were more tempted by the umbrageous shelter afforded 
by the foliage and branches of a noble mango-tree than 
that of a dilapidated native hut, at whose principal and door- 
less aperture stood, in the most indolent of positions, its 
lazy proprietor, who, with ample leisure, would, it appears, 



NATIVE HUT. 285 



esteem it lost time to repair his roof, although the material 
was at hand ; and yet a site and land for which many of 
our people would give thousands, even the wretchedness 
of the cabin adding to the picturesqueness of the scene, 
for behind it waved the graceful palm and cocoa trees, 
with the broad-leaved banana, that gives such richness to 
all this tropical scenery, while furnishing the principal 
sustenance of the people. 

'^What's the use? "the owner replies to my question 
why he don't put things in order; " it would only be ruined 
in the next revolution." 

Our noonday siesta finished, a short ride brought us to 
our resting-place for the night, the habitation of one Jose 
Gervase, at San Pedro, who received us in the most hospi- 
table manner, placing at our disposal " apartments " for 
the night. 

As we rode up, the women were working underneath a 
thatched roof, which had only a few stout poles to sup- 
port it, being otherwise entirely open; and this was the 
continuation of the hut or house proper in which the 
family lived. 

Our hammocks were soon slung under this roof, as there 
were always some of the party ready for a swing in this 
most fascinating of resting-places. It being Washington's 
birthday, it was determined to celebrate it by a grand 
dinner^ as fitting to the representative of the Great Eepublic ; 
with what success may be imagined, when I mention that 
the menu was in accordance with our service of (tin) 
plate, and the " omelette au-ron " a success. 

I will say nothing of the speeches, owing to the fact that 
what would have proved the ^^ event" of the evening was 
slightly marred in its solemn effects by the advent of a 
friendly pig between the legs of the speaker. 

But I think the American people would certainly have 
been amused, if not astonished, at seeing the perfectly 
republican simplicity of its representatives, as they sat on 
22 



286 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



upturned barrels or ends of logs, looking like a lot of 
guerillas in bivouac. - , 

In the midst of our hilarity came the vesper-hour, and 
immediately our host and his family fell to their prayers and 
evening hymn, with such evident earnestness, that, though 
we had, out of respect, immediately uncovered, we yet, 
moved by such evidence of simple but honest piety, bowed 
our heads in reverence also. 

Although sleeping in the open air, our slumbers were of 




Apartments. 



the soundest, and the sun was well up when we were stir- 
ring about, awaiting our chocolate before starting, during 
the preparation of which much information was elicited 
from the people ; and it was with a hearty ^' Happy journey 
and God be with you, senores ! " from the master, that we 
took our departure. 

Five miles riding brought us to the foot of the mountain 
range bearing the general name of Cordillera, which, 
towering up here into an altitude of some 3000 feet high, 
bears the euphonious appellation of " Sillon de la Viuda " 



gis»smfi^mrw%''i:mM'mm''v<<w^ii 



iil| 



I 

iiiiiiii 



mi 



I ■ . ' 1 : •>i!iwni!!'i'iiiiyi';r';i^i'v''i"i' n " m, iiwhIii'iiii mu \!i, 'kMsii 




WIDOW'S pass:' 287 



(Widow's Saddle), to the south of which are the sources of 
the Ozama river. 

Over grassy slopes and rough defiles of now hard clay, 
except where here and there some mountain stream trick- 
ling down keeps the path moist; up wooded hills, upon 
which are seen every form of parasite, whether in its 
incipient form of a mere bundle of grass upon the branch 
of some tree, hanging in strange woody ropes or graceful 
festoons, or framed into sturdy many-trunked trees, we 
ride ; now holding hard with knee and braced-in stirrup^ or 
almost embracing the horse's neck, one hand firmly grasp- 
ing a lock of the mane to prevent sliding back, we gain 
the mountain top, where, dismounting, we fasten our 
horses, and then pushing our way through the bushes, we 
come out upon an abrupt, sharp point upon the very ridge. 

And this was the '' Widow's Pass," and there the great 
mountain heart of the island, with the towering Yaqui peak 
soft and distant ! 

What a sight was then laid out before us, unrolled like 
some huge topographical map, only with every point marked 
in bold relief by Nature's own hand, so there could be no 
mistake about hill or dale, mountain or valley. 

Steep down rose the extreme points and tops of the 
trees of the mountain below us ; beyond that a high moun- 
tain slope, and then descending slopes, and valleys covered 
with forest, with now and then a bright brown patch of 
the savanna land ; while in the distance rolls back into 
hazy eternity the dark -blue hills in various shades of indigo, 
blue, cobalt, and, where the morning sun glints on them^ 
the most delicate violet tints, the tops of the highest hid 
away in cottony clouds. But words fail to paint a scene like 
this, where even the pencil cannot portray its beauties, 
needing, as it does, the colouring of a Church or a Bierstadt. 

This pass is a defile so narrow, separating the north from 
the south so efi'ectually, that a handful of men might dis- 
pute the passage with an army. 



288 SANTO DOMINGO. 

Here the Spaniards, in early days, offered to make a 
stand against Dessalines, wlien lie attacked their lines to 
drive out the French; but the latter had no faith, and 
would not trust them with arms, else that desolating march 
might have been prevented. 

Descending the mountain, we reach a stream of clear 
running water, into which the Doctor and I, warm and 
muddy, rushed to get our baths, the first we have had in 
what might be called a St Domingo stream. Mr White, 
although envying us our enjoyment, declined bathing, from 
the fact that Admiral Porter had cautioned him ao-ainst 




Sensitive Plant. 

bathing m these streams. Many of the authorities of the 
island give this advice also, and, perhaps, under certain 
circumstances, of hot sun or heated body, it would not be 
wise to enter the almost ice-cold water ; but our experience 
has taught us (including since the Commissioner), that 
when the clothes are slowly removed, and the body cooled 
before going into the water, no evil results are experienced. 
On the contrary, in the early morning we have found great 
benefit from it, to say nothing of the immense refreshment 
of such a bath after a long day's ride. 

Very pleasant enjoyment it is to thus pull up at mid-day 
and enjoy even the frugal meal that may be called lunch. 



BAD ROADS. 289 



breakfast, or dinner, when, spreading a poncho upon the 
rich herbage, a siesta forms a pleasant finale to the lazy 
toying with that wondrous creation of Nature, the sensitive 
plant, whose tender petals seem to fold themselves up even 
at the breath of man. 

Our afternoon journey of this day was not soon to be 
forgotten, for we all had deep experience of St Domingo 
mud on the roads, which were almost impassable. 

The Professor led the way through one quagmire ; but 
the author, coming next, turned a little aside, and in went 
his horse up to the girths in sticky, pasty mud. Spurrings 
and lashings, answered by wild efforts on the part of the 
horse to extricate himself, only served to fix them deeper 
in the ditch, until the horse, infuriated and frightened, 
seemed ready to fall over on his rider. 

" Jump for it!" shouted the Professor; and jump I did, 
plump over my heavy boot-tops into the mud ; but throwing 
myself forward to the solid ground with the reins still in 
hand, succeeded, with whip and shouts, in pulling my now 
unburdened horse through to terra firma^ where he stood 
trembling like an aspen, the only question between us 
being which was the muddiest. 

The Commissioner and the Doctor, profiting by my sad 
example, wisely made a detour through a short bypath in 
the woods, and came through without mishap : but we 
were all glad enough when the Professor turned aside into 
the very bed of a stream in preference to taking the road, 
and following up its course, we had sure, gravelly bottom, 
even if it was at the cost of being occasionally splashed 
with pure water. That wild, strange scene I think none 
of us will ever forget, as, pursuing our way, we rode through 
a narrow bottom-land, in the centre of which was the little 
stream, over which and our heads would sometimes meet 
and entwine so thickly the branches and foliage of the trees 
on its banks, that sunlight was entirely excluded ; and then 
through openings in the bushes we caught a view of groups 



290 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



of palms and other strange trees in the meadow, while 
rising directly behind them were the hills covered with 
the gigantic forest trees, over which had grown the most 
dense and graceful hanging canopies of the morning glory, 
making a scene in which it would appear that Nature her- 
self had draped and festooned the sides in honour of the 
representative of progress embodied in the modest person 
of Commissioner White. 

At last we strike the road again, and then bursting out 




Royal Plain. 



from the timber upon the open ground, we get our first 
view of a part of the far-famed Yega Royal (Royal Plain). 
It appears that the name ^^Yega Real" was given by 
Columbus himself originally only to the level country 
lying between Samana and Monte Cristo ; but as new 



VEGA REAL. 291 



villages sprang up, the word in its meaning became more 
contracted, being applied to the land at or near the place 
called La Yega. Now it means all that level tract lying 
between the Monte Cristo range and the Cibao or Cordillera 
ranges of mountains, extending west from Samana to the 
Haytian frontier, near Monte Cristo. 

In this immense valley are comprised the best agricultural 
lands and the principal towns of the island, including 
Cotuy, Macoris, La Yega, Mocha, Santiago de los Cabal- 
leros, Gruayubin, and Monte Cristo, and though there is 
abundant tableland, it must not be imagined it is all flat 
prairie soil, for even many of the prairies are very rolling 
in their nature, while ranges of hills break up the level at 
various points. But here to-day in the '^ Yega," in the 
" Cibao," as it is indiscriminately called, is the principal 
agricultural wealth of the island ; and though thus far on 
our journey we had met with few houses, we began to find, 
as we approached the region where the character of the 
country changed so much, more signs of cultivation and 
habitation. 

We had some peculiar experiences of the weather of this 
island, for though the day was bright, we were constantly 
subjected to a series of showers, none of which lasted over ten 
minutes, and then it would be perfectly clear, until we really 
all became tired of being fooled so often, and vowed neither 
umbrella should be hoisted nor poncho put away. In one 
of these pleasant showers the temptation of making a pic- 
ture of the Commissioner was too great to be resisted, and it 
•was deemed so characteristic, that I promised it should form 
the subject of my dedication page. Crossing a number of 
savannas, we reached at length the banks of the Cevico 
river or creek, which we quickly forded, and rode through 
a grassy, green avenue lined with palm, cocoa, and banana 
trees, into the village of the same name, where we put up 
in the usual fashion at the hut of a negro citizen. Cevico 
is simply a congregation of thatched huts around an open 



292 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



space called a plaza i and the statistics of the town are 
complete when I state there are fifteen houses and seventy- 
five people. 

We were received, however, by quite an historical old 

personage, Severino Gon- 
zalez by name, who, a light- 
coloured mulatto, and now 
eighty-nine years of age, 
had been a captain in the 
army of the celebrated 
Dessalines. 

But his manner of 
receiving us at his door 
was simply superb, and 
would have befitted a 
prince showing us into a 
splendid palace, instead 
of the humble earth- 
floored, thatch-covered hut 
of which he was the owner. 
With his blanket wrapped 
about him in Koman toga- 
like folds, he, with quiet 
dignity and a magnificent 
wave of his hand, said, " My house is at your disposition, 
senores." My regret was only equalled by my chagrin when, 
after pouring out my thanks in my best Spanish, the Pro- 
fessor slyly said to me, in homely but forcible phrase— 
^^ Dry up, old fellow ; he 's as deaf as a post." 

In this house we found the family principally consisted 
of females, the daughters of the most opposite coloured 
complexions ; for while one was black as ink, possessing 
withal a graceful figure, the other was one of the finest- 
looking yellow women I had seen, with straight hair and 
superb black eyes, her form answering in its proportions 
and grace to a sculptor's model. 




Severino Gonzalez. 



THE ''COMMANDANTEr 



293 



Orders were immediately given to gather the people of 
the village together before our departure in the morn- 
ing, in order that the Commissioner might hear their 
views. 

Bright and early, therefore, next day came a perfectly 
black negro with more clothes on than most of those we 
had seen. 

He informed the Commissioner that he was the " Com- 
mandante," and leaving that gentleman to digest the in- 
formation, he retired to an inner room with the afore- 
mentioned good-looking young woman ; and after some 
time had elapsed, reappeared in a clean suit of clothes, a 
Colt's revolver in his 
belt, and a brown 
felt hat bound in 
white on his head, 
the whole suit form- 
ing a happy contrast 
to his dusky face, 
which, I must say, 
gave one the impres- 
sion that he would 
willingly ^^ knife " 
you for a ten-cent 
piece. Seating him- 
self in a hammock, 
he in an extremely 
consequential man- 
ner was proceeding to give us an idea of his great impor- 
tance, when he was abruptly cut short, and told to allow 
the people to come in, as the Commissioner wished to see 
them, and not the dignitaries. 

A number of all classes then came in, to whom Mr 
White made an address, and they showed themselves very 
enthusiastic at the idea of having perpetual peace given 
them, some being affected even to tears ; and it was with 




The " Commandante.' 



294 SANTO DOMINGO. 

hearty '' God speed you! " that we took our departure as 
soon as the interview was over. 

We had fourteen miles of the roughest riding to do 
that I have ever seen in my life before we reached Cotuy, 
over roads that were not roads, up steep slippery banks of 
clay, and down rocky declivities that in places were so 
narrow, and gave such dangerous footing, that we were 
compelled to dismount and whijD our horses down, picking 
our own way by holding to branch and bush with our 
hands, while our feet were constantly treading air. Well 
may every one exclaim and pray, ^' Give us roads ! " to 
which we say " Amen ! " most heartily. 

A sorry figure we cut, as, nearing Cotuy, we were 
met by the Commandant, a very black darky, who, in 
spotless linen suit, put us quite to the blush for our 
mud and travel- stained appearance. However, we were 
escorted into Cotuy to the house of the alcalde, who 
had prepared for Mr White's party — Mr Gautier, the 
Secretary of State having, we found, sent a courier on 
in advance to advise the authorities of his needing 
care and quarters. This house was an humble affair, 
though as good as there was in the village, it being simply 
of one story, divided into three parts, with a thatched 
roof; these three parts formed the rooms, the one on 
the left being that -in which the alcalde held his court, 
the centre being the living-room, while the third part 
was redivided into two small rooms, one the shoemaking 
shop of his son, the other a bedroom appropriated to Mr 
White's use. 

As we had left Cevico at early morning without any 
breakfast except a cup of coffee and a roasted plantain, we 
were nearly famished on arriving at the alcalde's, and a 
suggestion was made that he should give us something to 
satisfy us while our people prepared a more substantial 
meal. Bless the dear old man's heart! In a twinkling 
we had a dish of fried eggs with onion and garlic seasoning, 



SANTO DOMINGO. 295 

served in cassava bread, moistened with warm water, and 
a dish of rice. Bread we had not, there being none in the 
town ; but do you think, lector mio, we held back on that 
account? !N'o, sir ! to use a homely but apt phrase, "we 
went through " those dishes, and I had the satisfaction of 
helping the august Commissioner himself to the last Qgg. 
Ye pampered officials at home ! think how your devoted 
servants suffer in a strange land. 

Seriously, however, four days roughing it in St 
Domingo mud, woods, and roads, had made us ready for 
anything at meal- time. Tired as we all were, we had to 
receive the calls of one or two of the high public function- 
aries, and particularly the Commandant, a perfectly black 
man, and the fastest talker I have ever heard in any lan- 
guage ; but after much talk, Mr White excused himself on 
the plea of fatigue ; the officials took the hint and left us, 
but not yet to slumber, for to such an extent is hospitality 
carried in St Domingo, that when a stranger of importance 
arrives in a town, the band of the special locality proceeds 
to serenade the new-comer. However pleasant such a com- 
pliment might be to the tired traveller, even if performed 
by Strauss' band, yet it was a little too much for our feel- 
ings when a " din infernal " was made outside the house 
by the village band, consisting of a big drum and a little 
one ; and so exasperated were our drowsy feelings by the 
noise, that it was promptly ordered to clear out, even the 
expected douceur (through ignorance, however) being with- 
held — " Cosa Dominicana." 



CHAPTEE XYI. 

Through citron groves and fields of yellow maize, 
Through plantain walks, where not a sunbeam plays ; 
Here blue savannas fade into the sky, 
There forests frown in midnight majesty." 



CoTUY — Ifs Appearance, History, and Location — The Yuna River 
■^-An Old Church, and Novel Mode of Advertising — A Vil- 
lage Cemetery — A First Regular Meeting to Receive the Com- 
missioner — Courtesy of the People — Swimming a River — The 
^^ Royal Road" — Hu-man-i-cu — Old Cocoa- Trees — Domestic 
Institutiofis — Woman's Rights — Reception at La Vega — The 
Town and its History — Hospitable Attentions — The 0?ily 
Steam- Engine — The " Grand" Cathedral — An Official Break- 
fast — The Famous Hill Santo Cerro — Superb View of the 
Vega — The Old Town of La Vega — The Valley of Constanza 
— A Paradise — Arrival at Mocha — An Attractive Town — 
Pretty Girls — Ha?tdsome Cemetery — Eloquence of the Com- 
missioner, and so7ne Plaitt Talk. 

ANE and a half miles from the river Yuna, in the centre 
^ of the savanna, lies the old town of Cotuy, one of those 
originally established by the Spaniards, being distant from 
St Domingo city some eighty miles, and equally dis- 
tant from the town of La Vega to the north, and the 
bottom of Samana Bay, thirty-five miles. 

Situated formerly a little farther to the north, it was 
known as La Mejorada, or the Privileged, but eventually 
received the name of " Las Minas," because it was located 
in a district noted for its mines of gold, silver, copper, and 
iron. 

It was a flourishing place soon after its foundation by 



COTUY. 



297 



order of Ovando in 1505, and some of tlie mines were 
worked up to 1520, when the scarcity of workmen was 
beginning to be felt. When the mines were closed by 
order, this town began to experience the same results that 
affected all the others, and became almost extinct. 

The modern town is a very humble place indeed, consist- 
ing of about two hundred houses and less than a thousand 
inhabitants. It is principally built around the plaza or 
square, which forms the centre of the town, the houses 




Plaza and Old Church, Cotuy. 

being of the usual framed, thatch-covered style peculiar to 
the country. 

The population, as far as we could learn, were principally 
interested in raising pigs ; but the country throughout this 
region is famed as a fine countrj^ for growing tobacco, 
coffee, and cacao. 

Under favourable circumstances there is every reason for 
its becoming a large town, situated as it is on the banks 
of the river Yuna, the largest navigable river, with one 
exception (the Artibonite), upon the entire island. 

This river, taking its rise in the rocky hills of the valley 
of Constanza, runs pretty generally due east, and passes 



298 SANTO DOMINGO. 

within a mile and a half of Cotuy, and thence continuing 
its course through the great plain of the Yega Eeal, it 
finally, by various mouths, empties into the Bay of Samana, 
thus in its course running through an extent of country 
some 200 miles in length. 

It is fed by innumerable streams, and at present is 
navigable for boats some forty miles from its mouth to 
Almacen ; but canoes have no difficulty in ascending as 
high as Couty, the usual depth of the river being even in 
the dry season several feet, the width from 150 to 200 
yards. It would not be a difficult matter to improve the 
channel in such manner as to permit of flat boats being 
floated down ; and in this event, Cotuy would become the 
agricultural shipping-point of the great extent of country 
in its vicinity. 

Ten o'clock having been appointed by the Commissioner 
as the hour for the official reception, we occupied ourselves, 
after rising, in paying our respects to the village cure, 
visiting the old church and the village generally. 

We were much interested in the padre, a man of many 
years, and who, though born in Catalonia, Spain, had lived 
here nearly all his life, and " a better country I never 
want," he said, surpassing even his native province in 
healthfulness. He was too ill to accompany us, but we 
paid a visit to the old church, that had been standing many 
hundred years, and bore over the main door a crack caused 
by the great earthquake of 1842. 

A more poverty-stricken, cheerless church-interior I 
never saw ; built of stone, many parts had gone to decay 
without effort at repair, while the whole place had a damp, 
earthy smell, which, with the humble bier standing in an 
alcove, served to remind us of a charnel-house. 

As showing the utter simplicity of the religion of these 
people, we noticed there was placed in the curtained 
niche of an alcove a wax figure, nearly life-size, of Christ 
bearing the Cross, which of itself was horrible ; but in the 



I 



VILLAGE CEMETERY. 



299 



midst of other decorations, of bits of gold-paper and paper- 
flowers, a highly-coloured gorgeous label had been taken 
from a vermicelli box and pasted at the foot of the figure 
of Christ. 

If this label had been in some foreign tongue, it might 
be supposed that it remained there in utter ignorance by 
priest and people of what it was , but there it was in 
Spanish, as fine an advertisement as I ever saw, that Farrell 
and Son, Barcelona, made fine vermicelli for soups. 

Walking through the town, we saw nothing to interest 
us j but, having a theory that the living are best judged 




Cemetery at Cotuy. 

of from the manner in which they treat their dead, I 
walked out to the village cemetery on the outskirts of the 
town, which was a very humble, simple affair indeed. A 
lot enclosed by a fence made of withes, a wooden portico 
under which was a simple door with a cross in white paint 
marked upon it, served as the last resting-place of the 
villagers, the graves of whom were marked by no elaborate 
monument, but usually a simple cross of wood. 
23 



300 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



Keturniiig to our quarters, I found the people were 
already gathering for then' interview with the Commis- 
sioner. They were from all sections and of all colours ; 
and the room not being capable of holding them all, they 
crowded in at the windows and doors, anxious to get a 
glimpse of the man who was perhaps to decide their 
future. 

The Commissioner in a few well-chosen phrases ex- 
plained the nature of his mission ; and when he appealed 




Meeting at Cotuy. 

to them for their desires of annexation, there was no 
mistaking their earnestness as they shouted, '' We wish 
it." 

It was a remarkable sight to see, in this humble habita- 
tion, these men, different in language, customs, and even 
complexion, earnestly invoking the representative of the 
Great Republic to give them that liberty with which they 



SWIMMING A RIVER, 301 

were familiar in name only, and for which many of them 
had been struggling all their lives. 

One man, a tall swarthy fellow, whose feelings got the 
better of him, could not restrain his enthusiasm, but 
stretching himself to his full height, raised his hands to 
heaven, and exclaimed, '^ With body and soul, God knows, 
for myself and for all this people, we want it and hope 
for it " (annexation). 

It was with a good deal of pleasure that at an early hour 
next day we took our departure from Cotuy ; for though 
we had been well treated by its people, one gets soon tired 
of a place where there is absolutely nothing to do or see ; 
and the dusky Commandant seemed desirous of making 
the most of us, as such an event as the arrival of a distin- 
guished stranger was extremely rare in these parts. 

He therefore deemed it his duty to see us safely on our 
way, and, mounted on a fiery little horse, seemed proud 
to display his horsemanship, for which all Dominicans are 
noted. 

In an humble way these people, with true courtesy, 
did all that lay in their power to honour the '^passing 
guest : '' and if I seem to speak lightly of their appear- 
ance and habits, it is in no spirit of ridicule, but as a mere 
matter of truthful description that I see them as '' ithers 
see us." 

At last we arrived on the banks of the main river, the 
Yuna, a branch of which we had crossed soon after leaving 
Cotuy, and here we found that our pack-horses would have to 
be unloaded, and swam across, while their cargoes were taken 
over in canoes, we ourselves being under the necessity of 
half-swimming and half-fording the river with our horses. 

The river was quite wide and with a swift current, the 
shores low and gravelly, as was the bed of the river ; but 
we all managed to get over without accident, except the 
writer, who, with his usual luck, managed to secure two 
erood bootsful of water. 



302 



SA^'TO DOJIiyGO. 



The negro boatmen were very skilful in getting over 
without loss our cargoes and horses. This was done by 
means of a cotton-wood canoe, a large ceiba-tree furnishing 
the material, the canoe being simply the trunk of one of 
these trees hollowed out by fire and axe. 

In this a perfectly nude negro stood with a long pole 
and pushed his way over ; the horses, having their halter 
straps held by another negro, swam after the canoe, which 
was allowed to drift with the current of the stream, while 




Camino Real.'' 



the negro poled its head to the shore — an amusing as well 



as exciting scene. 



Leaving behind us the Yuna and its branches, we came 
out into a beautifully shaded road, with grassy surface, 
traversing which for some miles we reached the bank of 
the stream where we made our noonday halt. 

Our afternoon ride was still over level country, now 
savanna, now wooded and slightly rolling, until we 
struck the '• Camino Real " or royal road, a great wide 
avenue in the forest, thoudi now in fenrfnl condition, but 



NATIVE HOSPITALITY, 303 

bearing evidence that at one time some attempt had been 
made to make a regular highway, for still standing on 
each side were the ^' royal palms " planted for shade in 
regular lines, which gave an imposing and graceful appear- 
ance. But the roadway itself was filled with mud and 
water, the ground worn into ridges and gullies, resembling 
our corduroy roads, only, in lieu of the timber, the ridges 
were of earth baked hard by the sun. 

This is caused from the fact that the animals traversing 
this road put their feet in the same place as those gone 
before, and these gullies, becoming soft, fill with water, 
and get deeper and deeper, so that the traveller pursuing 
this route feels his horse stepping into these gullies, and 
over the ridges with a motion like camel-riding. 

Some hours of this fatiguing work made us very thankful 
when we at last arrived on the banks of the Jaina, a 
branch of the Yuna, where we were enabled to refresh our- 
selves with a swim in its clear and swift-running stream 
about twenty yards in width, and over our saddle-girths in 
depth. 

A pretty savanna with the romantic Indian name of 
Hu-man-i-cu, was our stopping-place for the night. 

Here we were hospitably received at one of the best 
houses with which we had met among the country people, 
quite a large cabin in the centre of several acres, enclosed 
with the pretty and luxuriant hedge of the maya or prickly 
aloe, while palms and cocoas gave shade to the house. 

Around us w^ere fine views of the distant mou,ntains, 
which towered high above the tops of the neighbouring 
forests. Our hosts seemed to be people of the better 
class, the husband, however, being away in the calaboose 
under charge of sticking a knife into a man at a dance 
a few evenings before. 

His wife took it very philosophically, as being quite a 
'^ cosa Dominicana," and she appeared in many respects 
quite an intelligent woman, her colour being what we 



304 



SA^^TO DOMINGO. 



should call brown, though two of her children were quite 
black. 

Well-to-do as these people appeared, there was not an 

article of crockery 




La Fuente. 



(if I except one 
it would not be 
polite to men- 
tion) in the honse. 
Everything usu- 
ally made of such 
material was here 
fashioned out of 
calabashes, cocoa- 
nuts, or gourds; 
and yet there was 
every variety of 
bowls, cups, and 
ladles, all scrup- 
ulously clean and 
highly polished, 
in the cupboard, 
which had its 
place in the 
and of which the 



corner under the name of '^ La Fuente, 
lady of the house arppeared very proud. 

The '' Doctor," a strong advocate of " woman's rights," 
having engaged my services as interpreter in a conversation 
carried on with the wife, was anxious to have her opinion on 
the subject ; and I was highly amused when she said, with a 
good deal of vim, that " women had no business with such 
matters; that if they attended properly to the duties needed 
in their domestic circles, their husbands would manage 
other matters for them." She was decidedly in earnest 
when she said '' there could be but one head to a house — 
that was the man ; " all of which the Doctor put down to a 
gross state of ignorance. 



COCOA TREE. 



305 



Like her more favoured sisters elsewhere, however, she 
preferred the town to the country ; it was more cheerful 
and lively, and she could have more ^^ bailitas " (little 
dances). 

Here I saw some fine specimens of the cocoa or chocolate 
tree, one of them being pointed out as twenty-five years 
old, and still profusely bearing fruit. 

This product alone would make St Domingo a flourishing 
and wealthy island, if 
the inhabitants, feeling 
assured of the future, 
chose to turn their atten- 
tion to its cultivation; 
and it would be a difiicult 
matter to compute the 
amount of wealth to be 
acquired in an island 
where, without trouble, 
its plains can be filled 
with cattle and cane, 
while the hills, even to 
their tops, produce so 
readily the cocoa and the 
coffee. If there were no 
other products, if the 
immense wealth of mine- 
rals and fruits, and other 
products so easily cul- 
tivated, were left out of 

sight, and only the first-named produced^ there is wealth 
enough here for millions of people to live in ease and com- 
fort, who are now struggling with starvation in less favoured 
countries. 

Three miles from Hu-man-i-cu, the other and even more 
difficult road from St Domingo city, known as the Jaina 
road, joined the one upon which we travelled; and a few 




The Cocoa. 



306 SANTO DOMINGO. 

days previous Professor Blake of the United States Com- 
mission had passed that way with his party. 

We reached La Yega, only a few miles' ride from om' 
night's resting-place; and entering a beautiful avenue, 
bright with the evergreen grass of this always verdure-clad 
island, we were met on the outskirts of the town by the 
Governor of the province, Jose Rodriguez, the Commandant 
of Arms, and about fifty of the most prominent men of the 
place and vicinity, all well and clean dressed men, white, 
black, and coloured, and all well mounted on the active, 
spirited horses peculiar to the island. 

The fine horses and equipments, as well as the bright, 
clean appearance of the riders, put us quite to the blush, 
as, on our tired, mud-splashed horses, and with personal 
attire rough, dirty, and careless, we received their saluta- 
tions. I have never been more agreeably disappointed in 
my life than I have been in the people of St Domingo. No 
matter what the shade of colour, from the time that I 
landed at Puerto Plata to the moment I left the island, I 
saw nothing but the most natural and graceful courtesy 
exercised, not only towards all strangers, but also to each 
other. 

And here we might have thought we were going to be 
taken to the most superb palaces and entertainments, 
judging from the" manners of these men, who, making no 
pretension, placed with true politeness before us such ac- 
commodation as they had. 

Escorting us to our quarters, the guard doing us honour 
as we passed the plaza, we were safely bestowed in the house 
of the village padre, who, vacating the premises, as we 
afterwards found, left the house and servants entirely to our 
party, furnishing our meals and attendance without a single 
command on our part, or chance to make any recompense, 
even at our departure keeping the attendants out of the way, 
so that we should not settle with them. 

Interchange of courtesies here ensued, accompanied with 



REMAINS OF STEAM-ENGINE. 



30; 



hearty hand-shakiug and good wishes from the people. 
Appointments for official receptions being made for next 
day, we were left to enjoy the luxury of getting baths and 
clean clothes, of which we stood much in need after our 
journey. 

The balance of the day being left unmolested to wander 
where we pleased, we availed ourselves of the opportunity 
to stroll through the village and the outskirts. One of the 
most striking objects was considered to be the remains of 
a steam-engine, said to be the only one ever put up in the 




The only Steam-Engine in St Domingo. 

island, and certainly the only one I saw or heard of in my 
travels. This we found lying on the banks of the river, 
utterly useless and broken. It had been brought out from 
the United States by the village priest. Padre Moya, who 
had it put up ; and an American, named, I believe, Jordan 
Lancaster, from New Jersey, engaged to run it. Logs from 
the neighbouring hills were sawn, and afterwards floated 
down the Camou river ; but the Spaniards left the mill 
ruined, as they did everything, when they departed the 



308 



SA^^TO n 021 IX GO. 



island : and there the boiler still lies, a fitting emblem of 
dead progress in an island where there is ample field for the 
remunerative working of thousands of mills and engines. 

The present town of La Yega is situated on the river 
Camou, one of the tributaries of the Yuna, and at a short 
distance only from its right bank. 



It lie^ 



in the centre of a beautiful savanna, which in 




La Vega. 

form is nearly round ; and is almost completely surrounded 
by hills, the town being to the north of the Cibao range, 
which it faces. 

It owes its foundation to the destruction by an earth- 
quake of the famous old town, founded by Columbus, of 
Concepcion de la Yega, which lay some six miles to the north 
and east. 

It is laid out in a regular manner, the streets crossing 
each other at right angles, in the centre of the town there 
being the usual plaza or square, near which is the only 
building of any importance in the village, the church. 

The houses are principally constructed of wood, though 



LA VEGA CATHEDRAL. 



309 



of a much better class than those in the majority of the 
towns, some of them being quite respectable frame-houses. 
The remains are still to be seen of ruined stone houses, 
showing that, at some previous time, the place deserved its 
name of a substantial city ; but lying in a plain as it does, 
and seen from the outskirts, it has anything but an impos- 
ing appearance, although its natural location is lovely and 
perfectly salubrious. 

The town receives its name from the great valley in which 




La Vega Cathedral. 



it is situated ; and the province of which it is the capital is 
noted for its superb lands for grazing and the production of 
coffee, cane, and tobacco. 

Strolling through the town, we found there were some 
primary schools in the place, and well attended ; but the 
amount of business carried on seemed limited enough. 

Judging from the church, it was evident that more had 
been anticipated for La Vega than it had been enabled to 
fulfil ; for an immense church or cathedral had been begun 



310 SAKTO DOMINGO. 

on an extremely grand scale for so small a place, but was 
not able to be finished owing to want of funds. 

A very imposing structure in design, with pillared arches 
and solid walls of stone, it had been roughly roofed in, 
leaving the rafters and a portion of the unfinished wall 
unplastered. Yet there was the usual amount of tapers 
and flowers, only the limited number of worshippers were 
lost in so great a place. 

Our party was entertained at a state breakfast, given by 
the village padre, who, a native of Corsica, had been edu- 
cated in France, and wt found him to be a highly polished 
and cultivated man. 

We enjoyed our entertainment much, meeting the prin- 
cipal men of the village, all of w^hom were white, and as 
polished and intelligent a set of men as could be met under 
the same circumstances anywhere, while the material on the 
table was only excelled in its cuisine by its profusion. 

I must confess we were all much astonished at finding the 
unanimity of sentiment existing in this region, after what 
we had heard; and while there was some difference of opinion 
in reference to the present rulers of the island, there was 
an entire and hearty sentiment desiring annexation to the 
United States. 

A still more extensive general meeting of the citizens 
and people was held when breakfast was over, at which 
speeches were made ; and, our adieux being said, we rode off, 
escorted by the Governor and a number of others, being 
joined also by the padre, who^ with his robe tucked up 
around him, and mounted on a spirited little horse, chal- 
lenged any of the party to a race, which he w^ould doubt- 
less have won ; but our whole party increasing their gait 
after fording the river^ w^e were soon on our way to 
Mocha. 

But, six miles from La Vega, we were to see a spot in 
which we were more interested than any place on the 
island, and of which w^e had received w^hat we deemed 




\!l'liK';'.:.JLlil|l!i!WW:ili'll!lllillli 



HOLY HILL. 311 



fabulous accounts. This was the famous hill '^ Santo Cerro " 
of Columbus. 

The road we were travelling was very romantic and beau- 
tiful, though rugged ; and suddenly leaving it, we began 
our ascent over a very narrow and stony path, that led up 
almost perpendicularly above the tops of the trees, on what 
seemed a mere knob of rock. 

Still continuing, we found we were ascending an isolated 
hill, and as we cleared the trees of the lower surface, we 
began to get superb views of parts of the Eoyal Plain. 

We were none of us, however, prepared for the sight 
we beheld, as, reaching the very top of the hill, we found 
spread out before us in every direction the whole extent of 
the Vega Real, the famous Royal Plain of Columbus. 

The spot upon which we stood was the famous Holy Hill, 
noted in the history of the island as the place whereon was 
worked a great miracle in favour of the Spaniards. 

It is related that Columbus having erected a cross upon 
this hill, the Indians in vain attempted to cut it down and 
to burn it. Struck with terror, they perceived the Virgin 
sitting on one of the arms of the cross, and the arrows they 
shot at her returned to pierce their own bodies (?). 

Notwithstanding that ^^ every Spaniard would have a 
piece of this cross," there was left enough (so say the 
chroniclers) to take to St Domingo city, where it was 
covered with silver filigree, and, under charge of the priests, 
was produced at the Cathedral, to help to sell indulgences 
and perform fresh miracles. 

Upon the top of this hill, which forms a level plateau, 
stands a plain wooden church, originally founded by the 
Brothers of Mercy; and upon the very edge of the hill stands 
a large wooden cross, overgrown with vines, to perpetuate 
the memory of the original cross, I suppose. Back of the 
church there is a small village containing a few inhabitants ; 
but it is said, in former days, when the Holy Brothers had 
formed this hill into a hermitage, there were beautiful 



312 SANTO DOMINGO. 

gardens all over it, where were produced fruits only grown 
in temperate zones, but which, from the height of this 
hill, found a congenial atmosphere. 

But historic as is this old hill and its surroundings, it 
afforded us the greater gratification of seeing, I might say, 
the whole island at our feet ; for there, far below us, to the 
right, to the left, lay the thousands and thousands of leagues 
of the noble, beautiful plain famed in and out of the island 
as the Yega Keal. In front of us, looking north, and 
stretching away until lost to sight, lay, hazy, grand, and 
majestic, the Monte Cristo range of mountains, extending 
almost to Samana, the bay of which, with its waters blue 
and hazy, or glittering in the sun, we could perceive like a 
spot in the distance. 

From the base of the hill whereon we stood to the moun- 
tain range, lay quiet and peaceful the vast level plain, 
broken here and there by the silver ribbon of a stream, or 
the curling blue smoke that served to mark the location 
of some hut or pueblo ; — such a plain as that seen from 
Catskill, New York, or the Dyke, in England, on a clear 
day ; yet the very opposite in its character, for here were 
seen no rich fields of grain, no prett}^ farmhouses or neat 
villages, showing a careful and successful agriculture. 

No ; here was seen naught but nature, — beautiful, it is 
true, but wild, uncultivated nature, — where the palm, the 
cocoa, and hundreds of forest groves held imdisputed sway 
.over this superb expanse of land, where, with labour and 
capital added to intelligence and industry, it could be 
made to bloom into a perfect flower, fruit, and vegetable 
garden. 

It may seem too practical amidst such scenes, but I could 
not help wishing there might soon be seen the smoke of the 
locomotive on the projected railroad, that would bring 
access, civilisation, and culture in its train to this superb 
region. 

Descending the hill, we bade adieu to the padre and his 



CONCEPCION DE LA VEGA. 313 

friends, and, accompanied by the Governor, we proceeded 
on our journey. A short distance from the base of the 
Holy Hill he pointed out to us the clump of stones that 
marked a portion of the site of old Concepcion de La Yega, 
to which the plain gave its name. 

Here, too, with this spot the pen of historic romance 
has been busy ; for it is said this is the spot where was 
first celebrated in America, in a formal manner, high 
mass, upon which occasion officiated the famous Father 
Las Casas ; and every place in the vicinity is connected 
with Columbus. 

In 1493, Columbus having received an account of the 
mines of Cibao (literally stony or rocky ground), came 
himself to verify the report ; and upon this occasion, when 
crossing from Isabella, ma the Monte Cristo range, he 
discovered this plain ; when so struck was he with its 
extent and beauty, that he named it '^ Royal." 

Constructing in 1495 a fort at La Vega, he was enabled, 
it is said, to defeat, with his brother Bartholomew and the 
small number of troops with him, 100,000 Indians ; and 
this post became the foundation of the city of Concepcion 
dela Vega, the city being built on the very spot where 
Guarionex, cacique of the kingdom of Magna, had resided. 

The other fort established in the Vega by Ovando in 
1504, and known as Magdelina, was placed at what is now 
known as Macoris. 

Owing to the fact of the mines of the vicinity, and the 
town being made, a bishopric, it soon became an important 
place; but in 1564 an earthquake overthrew the whole 
town, and the ruins, up to within a few years, it is said, 
were plainly visible, the earth in some places remaining 
half open, leaving exposed to view the roofs of buried 
houses. The place is now, however, overgrown with rank 
vegetation. 

In the time of the original Spaniards it was the chief 
place from which they emanated on their forays, and here 
24 



31 4 SANTO DOMINGO. 

it was that Roldan's mutiny was brought to a focus ; while 
at the time Bobadilla came out, Columbus received here the 
news of his arrival. 

In later years, so absolutely had the country gone to 
ruin, that the pass used by the Spaniards of that time to 
visit the mines of the Cibao became unknown, and it was 
not for many years that it was rediscovered. 

Strange to say, this very pass, leading then, as now, to the 
valley of Constanza, is little known, and yet the latter is 
famous as being in one of the most delightful parts of the 
island. It is said to be some five leagues in circumference, is 
fine and well watered with delightful springs. The pasture 
is good for all sorts of cattle, and from it one can descend 
on the other side to the fairy valley of San Juan already 
alluded to. It is stated that horses become particularly 
excellent here, while sheep and goats thrive amazingly. 
The situation is so cold, that during eight months of the 
year thick blankets are necessary on the bed, and in the 
hottest season meat keeps sweet several days. 

On the highest part of the neighbouring mountains 
there is often a slio:ht white frost, and in the vallev fire is 
often desirable for comfort towards evening. This was 
formerly a famous country for wheat ; and those who have 
succeeded in penetrating to some parts of this mysterious 
valley, state there -are yet people residing there who are 
white, the women having even fair hair, and blue eyes 
similar to the Biscayans. 

It was my intention to have penetrated into this un- 
known country, but being unable to secure a guide, I was 
compelled to believe the assertion that it was to-day im- 
penetrable, and that, in fact, for many years it had not 
been traversed by white men. 

In 1864 the Dominicans were pursuing the Spanish 
troops through the valley from La Yega to Hincha, and 
their general, Esteban Rocas, was compelled, in order to 
efiect his retreat, to cut a way through this section over 



I 



MOGHA. 315 



mountains and precipices, and this for infantry only, it 
being impossible for a cavalryman to pass. For this 
reason, as was pithily explained to me, '' No one knows 
anything about it, since a Dominican would rather go two 
or three days without eating than on foot ; he wants his 
horse, and will not visit places except he can go on horse- 
back and make a figure." I confess to having a good deal 
of sympathy with them on that score since traversing their 
country. Sir Eobert Schomburg endeavoured to pene- 
trate it, but was unsuccessful, though it is said Colonel 
Henneken was more successful. And yet this is part of 
the country to which even Columbus gained access. 

The sierras bordering it are very high, some of the peaks 
being from 7000 to 9000 feet in height ; and it is believed 
by all the natives, from the nature of the quartz rock, that 
there is abundance of gold. 

I am led to believe, from what I was told, and what I 
have seen of the vicinity, that this valley is similar in 
character to those in eastern Cuba in the region of the 
Yateras, which, from personal experience, I can testify to 
as being superb in climate, salubrity, and soil. 

And so, thinking of the far-away past and the almost 
unknown present of this beautiful land, we continue our 
journey to Mocha, passing through a tolerably well-settled 
country, upon each side of the road being the various agri- 
cultural places known as " fincas " " estaiicias " '' ynjenios," 
or '^ canuco," all meaning smaller or lesser farms, where 
tobacco, corn, and plantains are grown, or cane-sugar and 
molasses rudely made, while coffee is left to grow almost 
wild. 

In the bracing air of evening we came in sight of the 
beautiful town of Mocha, as it lies nestling in a plain at the 
foot of the great hills, and we now began to feel the im- 
mense difference between the temperature of the coast and 
the hill country, as these elevated plains and mountains 
are called. 



316 SANTO BO MINGO. 

Here again we were met b}^ the Commandant, a remark- 
able-looking man, and unmistakably a white gentleman : 
and, of course, there were a thousand apologies made by 
these more than courteous people for the accommodations 
offered us ; but we really had no cause of complaint on that 
score; and we were glad, after our pleasant evening meal, in 
company of some of the prominent men of the place, to 
bestow our wearied bodies in our ever-present bags. 

With such a day as we awoke to, there was no linger- 
ing in one's bed, and so, bright and early, we were out and 
about, drinking in new life from the glorious atmosphere 
of this region. 

Mocha is an active, thriving town in the great plain, 
about twenty-five miles to the north of La Vega. It is 
situated in the heart of a country noted for its productive- 
ness over all other parts of the island, the tobacco and 
coffee of the locality being famed for its abundant growth 
and good quality ; and from what I saw of this region, in- 
cluding Santiago, I believe, in case of immigration into the 
island, this section will become the chosen spot. 

The population seems to consist more largely of pure 
white people than anyplace in which we had been, and 
the general character of the town and its people seemed, 
after a short acquaintance, to be of a superior nature. 

The streets are well paved ; there are many stores with 
a fair assortment of goods, and apparently doing an active 
business. The houses are mostly built of stone or the 
concrete of the country ; and from the careful condition in 
which they are kept, the town, with its abundance of blue 
and white paint, presents a clean and gay appearance. 
Altogether I was reminded of some of the pretty and 
flourishing villages of Cuba. 

The town boasts of a good-sized church of stone, covered 
with a corrugated iron roof, and it presented a more cleanly 
and thriving appearance than any church in which we had 
been; while the cemetery at the end of the main street was 




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BEAUTIFUL WOMEN. 



317 



a remarkably handsome place, both in its construction and 
its locality ; for situated upon the very brow of a hill, it 
overlooked the lovely plain, beyond which, in the distance, 
the many ranges of hills formed a charming background. 

We were quite surprised to find not only two-storied 
houses in the town, but even some that had garret windows, 
a degree of civilisation we had not yet met with in the island. 

And here, I may say also, we saw the first really beauti- 
ful women whom we had met ; and the sight of two lovely 
looking girls at one of the corner windows, with their 




Mocha Cemetery, 

brunette complexions, rosy cheeks, lovely eyes, and rich 
dark hair, was too much for some of our party, who, putting 
themselves at the feet of the young ladies (figuratively a 
los pies de V, M.), were rewarded by their very gracious 
smiles and " gracias." 

Here again Mr White was called on to address a large 
crowd of these earnest people, who had congregated at the 
town-hall to hear about the possibility of their becoming 
" Americanos." 



318 SANTO DOMINGO, 

Eloquent as he always was, and fired by the earnest, long- 
ing looks of the men of these strange assemblies, it was a 
rather trying ordeal to go through to be compelled to stop 
in the midst of an eloquent peroration to allow the inter- 
preter to translate it to the audience ; and Mr White was 
fortunate in having at his service Professor Gabb, whose 
long residence on the island has rendered him familiar with 
the colloquial language of the people. 

All it is necessary to say here about these addresses in 
various parts of the island is, that they were extremely 
practical and to the point ; and though these people heard 
some very " plain talk " about themselves, and what they 
would have to expect as part of the American Union, 
the remarks of Mr White were everywhere received with 
honest appreciation. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Earth, yield me roots ! • 

Who seeks for better of thee, sauce his palate 
With thy most operant poison. What is here ? 
Gold ! yellow, glittering, precious gold ! " 

— Timon of Athens. 



From Mocha to Santiago. — Improved Roads — Fine Lands — 
Reception at Santiago — First Sight of the Yaqui — Description 
of Santiago and the Gold Regions. 

T17E had now been eight days on our journey, almost con- 
* ' stantly in the saddle, traversing a country which may 
be said to be almost a primeval wilderness. Up to our 
arrival at Cotuy, and from thence to Mocha, the country 
was so sparsely inhabited, that houses by the roadside were 
met with but rarely. 

Almost without nourishing food, exposed to the sun, and 
occasionally wet by the sharp tropical showers that went as 
quickly as they came, yet we were all in fine health and 
good spirits, notwithstanding the prognos ications of the 
evil-minded ; and it was, therefore, with keen appreciation 
for the beauties of the road that we started on our journey 
of fifteen miles from Mocha to Santiago, the famous city 
ofthe^'Cibao." 

Mounting our horses, and accompanied by a brilliant escort, 
we left behind us, early in the afternoon, the pleasant town 
of Mocha, with its gay appearance and pretty girls ; and 



320 SANTO DOMINGO. 

striking a continuation of the Royal E-oad, we found we were 
in a much more thickly-settled country. 

The road was wide, shaded, and pretty generally dry, 
though here and there we came upon some ugly places, 
through which we had to struggle and stick in the pasty 
mud. 

The soil throughout was of the richest, blackest loam, 
similar to the splendid lands of Mississippi ; while on each 
side of the road we found the habitations of a much better 
class, and the farms or plantations on a larger scale ; yet 
with all there was a perfect absence of systematic labour 
and agriculture. 

One of the places pointed out to me as an " ynjenio " or 
sugar-place, was possessed of a fine lawn in front of the 
house, shaded here and there by the most superb specimens 
of the royal palm, while fine cattle were browsing on the 
grass ; the house itself, commodious but plain, being only 
one story in height, of wood, and painted bright red. 

Inquiring about land values, I was told the house and 
over a thousand acres of good cleared land, capable of 
raising cane, coffee, cocoa, cotton, and fruits, could be 
bought for about $5000 in gold ; a grand speculation with 
a stable Government assured. 

We soon had signs that we were approaching a prominent 
town, for we constantly met the " requeros," or mule-trains, 
on the way, with loads of tobacco to the principal depot, 
Santiago. 

Then we passed whole fields of guava growing wild, acres 
of broad-leafed tobacco, corn, and other productions, while 
groves of the " ramon " tree, upon the leaves of which 
horses and cattle feed as though it were grass, met us at 
every step. 

Some distance out from Santiago we were met by General 
Cacerees (the reputed son of Baez, whom he very much 
resembles), the commander of the military district, ac- 
companied by no end of governors, commandants, generals, 



RIVER YAQUI. 



321 



and others, all assembled to receive and do honour to Com- 
missioner White. Mounted as they all were on fine horses, 
they presented an animated sight. 

Presentations and congratulations being over, the caval- 
cade wended its way towards the famous '^ City of Gentle- 
men," of which we caught a glimpse when we were yet 
some distance off. 

Riding apart a little from the road, I was taken by one 
of the officers to the edge of a bluff, and there, far below 




Vicinity of Santiago. Tobacco Train. 

me, rolled the wide, swift-running, but now rather shallow, 
Yaqui river, the famous gold-river of Columbus, which, 
running through the heart of the island, drains some of its 
most fertile plains, the limits of which end abruptly, and 
in many cases precipitously, on the Yaqui. This river, 
known by its various names of Yaquey, Yacki Grande, takes 
its rise in the mountains near the Peak of Yaqui, and in 
its course extends some 200 miles, emptying finally into 
Manzanillo Bay. Having a number of tributaries, it waters 



322 SANTO DOMINGO. 

and fertilises a vast extent of country, and from tlie nature 
of its banks could easily be formed into a vast canal. So 
winding is its course, tliat Columbus, crossing it several 
times, believed he had met with as many different streams, 
and accordingly bestowed various names upon it. 

After many windings in the road, we came in sight of 
Santiago, high up on a plateau, its abrupt cliffs and walls 
giving it the appearance of a regularly fortified place, as at 
this point the town itself was not visible. 

Descending to the river bank, and then mounting up a 
steep hill, we enter this queer, ancient, and historic city, 
bearing still about it, with its ruined walls and grass- 
grown streets, vestiges of its antiquity, relieved only by 
the fresh new houses of stone and plaster that have in 
later days been built. 

A house having been prepared for our reception, we were 
soon comfortably bestowed in the most modern well-built 
house with which we had yet met, but, like most all 
Spanish houses, having its saloons over the stores and 
warehouses of the ground-floor. 

During the whole evening numbers of the most pro- 
minent men called to pay their respects to the Commis- 
sioner, and appointments were made for the next day for 
the public meeting with the people generally. 

I had read of the beauty of the moonlight nights in St 
Domingo, but up to this time we had had no fair specimen; 
but I confess the opportunity we now had of enjoying one 
of those beauties of the tropics was superb. 

The house in which we were located was upon the highest 
part of the plateau, the windows, like all those of this 
country, large and opening to the floor, so that swinging 
in one's hammock you could look out on the beautiful 
scene before you, the white walls of the house looking even 
more white in the pale light of the moon, while by con- 
trast the shadows were deeper and more mysterious, 
and stretching away beyond were the gently rising hills 



SANTIAGO. 



323 



that finally ended in the mountain range which almost 
entirely surrounds the town, forming as it were a vast 
amphitheatre. A beautiful scene indeed, with the evening 
air pouring in fresh and pure ; and, with the fatigues of 
the day upon us, it was no very difficult matter to slip 
away into the land of dreams. 

" Santiago de los Caballeros " is one of the most 
ancient towns in the Island of St Domingo, and to-day 
really the most important in every respect. It received its 
name, St James, in honour of an order of knights in Spain, 
and was founded in 1504, owing to its vicinity to the 




Market Square of Santiago. 

famous fort " Concepcion de la Vega," and its being 
about half way between that place and the port of Puerto 
Plata. 

As has already been shown in the earlier chapters, it has 
at various times been subjected to attacks from the early 
French and buccaneers ; it has been burned down by fires ; 



324 SANTO DOMINGO. 

it has been shaken down by earthquakes ; and more lately 
utterly destroyed by Dessalines, and by the Spaniards when 
they left the island. 

It is situated on the right bank of the Yaqui river, in a 
savanna that extends to the very edge, being nearly sur- 
rounded, as above stated, with hills and mountains ; and 
from its frequent destructions, it possesses now no building 
worthy the attention particularly of the traveller. It is 
built, as usual, around a large plaza or square, in. which is 
held the market, the largest and most busy one we had seen, 
where it was a most amusing and instructive sight to stroll 
and see the country people with their products of every 
variety for sale. 

The streets are quite straight, and pretty generally run 
at right angles to each other, the houses in the main part 
of the town being almost entirely constructed of stone, 
while in the outskirts they consist of frame-work or the 
usual palm-thatched houses of the country ; and for this 
reason, seen from the hill at the back of the town, and 
looking across to the opposite bank of the river, the town 
presents a rather irregular appearance. 

It lies in the very heart of the finest agricultural region 
of the island, and is about 160 miles from the capital, with 
which it has little or no commercial intercourse, its port 
proper being the town of Puerto Plata, though in former 
days, when Monte Cristo was an organised port, its traffic 
principally went there, as the roads there are better, and 
easily accessible even for carts, while that to Puerto Plata 
is something fearfully difficult, and at times almost im- 
possible, even for animals, the only means of transport. 

The climate is undoubtedly the finest in the island, the 
place being noted for its salubrity, and it now possesses a 
population of about 8000 inhabitants, "largely composed of 
whites, the majority of whom are as intelligent and polished 
as can be met with anywhere.* 

Being situated in the heart of the tobacco region, San- 



GOLD MINES. 325 



tiago is a place of active business, and controls this trade, 
many of the merchants being simply the agents of the 
foreign houses established at Puerto Plata ; and this influ- 
ence, principally German, controls this part of the traffic 
of the island. 

The tobacco raised in the vicinity seeks this place as its 
depot, where it is packed on the backs of mules or horses, 
and, in charge of the teamsters who specially follow this 
calling, is despatched to Puerto Plata, whence it is shipped 
to Hamburg. 

With the proposed railroads to Samana and to Monte 
Cristo, Santiago must become the great trading c'entre of 
the island, if not the capital. 

In addition to the agricultural products of the region of 
which it is now the capital, Santiago has been, and, pro- 
bably always will be, the centre of the great mining interests 
for which in all time the island has been famous, but which 
have never yet been attempted to be developed. 

About these mines there appears to be no really reliable 
information, but the geological survey now being carried 
on by Mr W. M. Gabb in the interests of a ISTew York 
company will throw great light on this subject, especially 
if a work proposed by Mr Gabb, and for which he has had 
ample opportunities from his position of gaining materials, 
shall be published. It will not, of course, be to the interests 
of the company to make known all they know about such 
matters, but in general terms, I may state as Mr Gabb's 
opinion, that gold occurs scattered over a large part of the 
north flank of the central range of mountains (south side 
of Cibao), and also on the upper waters of the Jaina river. 
The gravel is rich in quality, but the quantity is too small 
over any given area to make it of great value. It might 
be placed on a par with the class of mines known in Cali- 
fornia as Chinese diggings, and will not pay a white man's 
labour. 

Gold quartz veins abound higher up the mountains, 



326 SANTO DOMINGO. 

above all these "placer" deposits, but their quality has 
yet to be ascertained. That they bear gold has been proven 
by direct examination, and by the inferential proof that 
xhQ gravel deposits derive their gold from them. 

Iron occurs in paying quantities only in one place, the 
Maimon river, a south branch of the Yuna, about a hundred 
miles from Samana Bay. It is superb in quality and the 
position of the deposit with reference to work, but the 
transportation and demand questions are too much for it 
now. 

Coal prospects are bad, such as are found being of poor 
quality, and appearing only in two or three inch veins. 

Professor Blake, the geologist to the United States Com- 
mission, who traversed the island from St Domingo city to 
Puerto Plata, reports superficially that " for the greater part 
of the distance between the Jaina river and the Yega Peal, 
we traversed a gold region comparing favourably in its 
indications of the metal with the gold regions of Georgia 
and the Carolinas. 

" Some portions of this region along the Jaina were 
anciently worked, in a rude and imperfect manner, by the 
Indians and Spaniards. Within a few miles of the ruins 
of the ancient city of Buenaventura, but on the opposite 
side of the Jaina, there are ancient pits and mining shafts, 
partly filled up and -overgrown, known among the people 
as ' Puits de los Indios ' (Indian wells). It is evident 
that the miners, whoever they were, followed the bed of a 
ravine to its head, and then sunk pits at intervals, pro- 
bably at the prolongation of the placer, and excavated the 
gravel between them, in the same manner as California 
miners ' cayote ' their claims. There are doubtless some 
hill deposits along the Jaina that would pay to work, if 
water can be delivered upon them without too great an 
outlay. 

" There is no lack of water in adjoining streams, and 
there is sufficient fall or drainage for tailings. . . . 



GRAIF GOLD. 32^ 



" There is no doubt that there is a gold region of consider- 
able extent and promise in the island, but I did not see 
anything to excite great enthusiasm regarding the deposits, 
or to encourage the expectation of immediate large returns 
from mining operations there. There is enough, however, 
visible to justify the labour and expense of carefully pro- 
specting the ground. The rocks are very similar to those 
found in all gold regions." 

Of iron ore he says, " There is abundance all along the 
route of brown iron ore, but it is questionable whether it 
is sufficiently pure to make pig iron." 

I may say here, that people pretty generally state there 
is gold in abundance throughout all this region, but that it 
needs tranquillity to work it out scientifically, although, 
even in a rough way, it pays the ordinary labourer to wash 
it out. 

We were informed of some Americans who had been in 
the interior for two or three years, but they being very 
close mouthed, nothing was known of their operations 
more than that they occasionally came down for provisions, 
which they paid for in gold. We saw specimens of the 
grain gold that had been gathered, and it is the same that, 
having been assayed at the United States mint, showed a 
fineness of 0.946. 

I was also informed by a prominent and reliable physician 
of Santiago that many of the country people always have 
more or less grain gold in their possession, and that there 
was one woman in particular who everj^ Saturday came 
into Santiago to sell a certain amount of gold, which, from 
its form and its nearly exact quantity, proved the regular 
result of a week's, washing. 

So much for modern investigation. Yet both history and 
tradition have given important facts on this subject ; for as 
Lyonnet, who was twice sent out by the French Minister 
of Marine, in 1809 says, "Not a single country unites within 
itself a greater variety of mines. Nature has left nothing to 



328 



SAXTO BO MIX GO. 



desire in tlie mineral region : gold in the part of Santiago, 

and in the region of the Cibao ; silver is common in the 
vicinity of Puerto Plata and !Reyba ; a quarry of marble 
at some distance from St Domingo ; there is also clay for 
pottery, por23hyry, alabaster." 

We have it on record by Columbus himself that the 
Indians paid a tribute in gold on this island : and Oviedo, 
who is deemed a reliable historian of the events of his time, 
has even illustrated his description of gold-washing with 







Gold-Washing. (Oviedo.) 

drawings of the natives at this occupation, the process 
appearing similar enough to that of pan- washing to-day. 

In the first voyage of Columbus, when his ship struck on 
a rock at La Xavidad, it is related the caciqne sympathised 
with the great Admiral so much. that, among other things, he 
presented Columbus with a mask, of which the eyes, the 
ears, and the nose were made of solid gold. 

When the mines of La Yega aud the Cibao had been 
in operation some time, the discovery of those at San 
Christobal or Buenaventura (good luck) was made, and 



THE GIBAO MINES. 329 

Bartholomew Columbus, going there in May 1496 to 
examine them, established a working party. 

Although as early as 1499 these mines are spoken of 
as being in decadence, it is yet on record that in 1502, ac- 
cording to Oviedo, two men, Garay and Diaz, found the 
most wonderful nugget of gold which has ever been dis- 
covered in any mine; it weighed 200 ounces, and was 
valued at 3600 dollars of the time. Eomance even accom- 
panies this statement ; for it is related the lump was first 
discovered by an Indian woman in the service of the two 
above named, who were so delighted that they killed a pig to 
roast, upon which to feast their friends, serving it up on 
this same " grain " of gold for a dish, and of which they 
boasted that their Majesties had never dined off so rich a 
one. Unfortunately it was lost in that gale predicted by 
Columbus, it having been purchased by Bobadilla to 
send to Spain in the fleet. 

Walton in his time states that the poor people at a 
rivulet close by, after heavy rains, continue to wash the 
sand they collect in a small calabash, obtaining often an 
ounce a day; the small particles, he says, being dislodged 
by the mountain torrent from the great mine, the old vein 
of which is now fallen in. 

But it was the famous mines of the " Cibao " (the Indian 
name for a stony country) which were the first that afforded 
specimens of the riches of the country, and yielded them 
the most treasure; and these were situated in the centre of 
the island near La Yega and Santiago, bordering on the 
river Janico; while in the mountains that enclose the valley 
of Constanza were large veins of a productive nature, large 
particles being washed down by the rains. 

Munoz states that Columbus wished to satisfy him- 
self of the richness of that region, and accordingly, in 
March 1494, made that famous march by the Gentlemen's 
Pass (Puerto de los Hidalgos) into this region, when he 
was presented with gold-dust and gold in grain by the 



330 SANTO DOMINGO. 

cacique, two of these latter, it is said, weighiDg more than 
an ounce. 

Walton states that in the south, at Guaba and at 
Bahorico, several persons clandestinely enriched them- 
selves without ever making use of a tool, the maroons, who 
at that time occupied that section, procuring all the neces- 
sities they wanted with the gold they brought down to the 
villages with them. 

I find it stated that in 1502, although the working of 
the mines temporarily ceased, it was not from lack of re- 
sults, but only from the difficulty of obtaining labour since 
the order portioning out the Indians had been revoked. 

In 1505, however, the Governor Ovando, who, it is well 
known, had pursued a policy opposed to this order, made 
his peace with the King by sending home as his share from 
the mines of La Yega and Buenaventura alone 460,000 
escudos of gold per year, a sum large enough to make the 
court wink at his transactions. But it must be remem- 
bered also that, in addition to this, Ovando carried on the 
government and made expensive improvements out of the 
revenues of the island, and as the cane had not yet become 
productive, we must suppose the yield of gold was large. 

This is corroborated by Herrera the historian, who alludes 
to the gold from the mines as amounting to over 460,000 
dollars per annum in, those days, and that not counting the 
grain-gold surreptitiously appropriated. 

Peter Martyr, who had also good opportunities of know- 
ing, says, that besides silver, copper, and iron, the mines 
produced, in his time, 500,000 ducats of gold. 

Even as early as 1502, as much as 240,000 crowns of gold 
were minted at the old town of La Vega from the mines in 
the Cibao ; and the town of Cotuy, in those days, was 
generally known by the name of " The Mines," from the 
fact that there were so many miners living there, and work- 
ing the mines in its vicinity. Santiago, it is said, was also 
at one time inhabited principally by goldsmiths. 



SILVER MINES. 331 

When we remember that all these above-named sums 
were abstracted at a time when metallurgy was almost un- 
known, and the loss excessive, we can imagine what must 
have been the original richness of this part of the island ; 
and it remains yet to be seen, by practical explorations and 
workings, if these are exhausted. 

Some authorities state that in 1511 many of the mines 
were abandoned from want of labourers, and because the 
working of the cane had become so profitable. That there 
must have been foundation for all these statements, it is 
given as a fact that, in Ovaudo's time, the receipts of gold 
received in Spain were so large, that the news spreading 
among the people, there were not vessels enough to take 
out the emigrants desiring to go to St Domingo. 

In 1530, when the decay of St Domingo had already 
begun, I find the President of the Royal Court remitting 
to the Emperor, as his share of one-fifth of the mines, 
$10,000 in gold and fifty measures of pearls, at the same 
time advising him that they had discovered in the island a 
very beautiful mine of silver and several mines of iron ; the 
latter being judged, in Spain, better than that of Biscay, 
although these mines were never worked. 

Permission coming from the Emperor to work these 
silver-mines, so much silver was extracted, that permission 
was also granted to coin reales (ten-cent pieces) of the 
value of those in Spain. 

As, however, the wondrous wealth of the mines of Peru 
and Mexico became known, interest seemed to be lost in 
those of St Domingo from various causes, principally, we 
may suppose, from lack of labourers, until, in 1543, all 
work ceased ; and by a royal decree Spain ordered that all 
the mines should be closed, the execution of the order being 
intrusted to an armed force, while the civil officers visited 
each spot and denounced the most severe penalties on those 
who should attempt to work them. 

But when the island had reached a state of almost 



332 SANTO DOMINGO. 

absolute decay, there yet seems always to have been more 
or less ore of various kinds taken out ; and I might cite 
here facts from Charlevoix, personal investigations of St 
Mery, of Soulastre, of Walton, and of Yalverde ; but, to 
use the words of the latter, " To indicate all the places 
where are to be found the mines of St Domingo is impos- 
sible, because many have not been discovered, and the 
memory of others has been lost that were worked at the 
beginning. The island contains, however, ranges and forests 
where only the montero or fugitive negro have penetrated ; 
mountains, it can be said, where human foot has never trod, 
consequently there are many to discover." But all these 
authorities give place and date to gold mines and dis- 
coveries. 

As, however, I have fortunately succeeded in seeing the 
report made by the Commissioner, Juan Nieto, sent out 
by the Spanish Government in 1793, and who, from being 
the mineralogist to his Majesty, is entitled to confidence, 
it will be best to accept his statements concerning the 
mines of the island, showing not only that there are very 
valuable mines in the island, but where they are. The 
reader will find it in the Appendix. 

It is only by thus gathering our information from various 
sources and periods that we are able to form any idea of the 
real nature of this wonderful island. Among other autho- 
rities, I may quote an article from the ^'Annales de Chimie," 
by Guyton, who says, " It had long been supposed that 
platina was found only in the gold mines of Santa Fe and 
Choco, in Peru. Twenty years ago there was a report that 
some had been obtained from a ferruginous sand in St 
Domingo ; but apparently the examination of this was not 
executed so as to give decisive results, since it has not been 
published. What Mr Percy submitted to the inspection of the 
Institute in February 1810, leaves no doubt of the existence 
of this metal in St Domingo, eastern part. It exhibits 
precisely the same characters as that we have seen from 



COPPER MINES, 333 

Spain. It is found principally after heavy rains in the 
sands of the Yaqui river, at the foot of the mountains of the 
Cibao." 

If the theory be true that all these islands constitute the 
ridges of one vast chain, of which Cuba and Porto Rico 
are a part, it is only natural to suppose that the same veins 
of ore found in one will be in a greater or less degree found 
in the others ; and though there is no regularly opened 
mine of copper in St Domingo, yet the signs are that 
there is abundance of that metal ; and we need only refer 
to those wonderful copper-mines of the " Cobre " in 
eastern Cuba to be satisfied that this ore does exist, in 
paying quantities, on these islands. 

Having thus gone, at some length, into the mining pro- 
spects of the island, we need only again refer to Santiago, 
to say that, notwithstanding what had been said about the 
strong anti-annexation feeling existing there, we were not 
able to discover much of it. Strolling about frequently 
alone, in stores, and among the people, and in the market, 
I confess I was much astonished to find the sentiment so 
generally diifused among a class of people, especially those 
who, one would think, to look at them in their listless 
positions, cared about nothing but being let alone. Yet 
eyes would sparkle and faces brighten as they spoke of 
having a strong Government. The secret may be explained, 
perhaps, by my experience with a fine-looking old yellow 
woman in the market-place, to whom I said — 

"" Well, old lady, you don't care about annexation, I 
suppose; you look comfortable enough?" 

" Yes ; I want it too, more than anybody." 

" How so ? " I asked, noticing that she looked very sad. 

Her eyes filled with tears as she said, " Now my old 
man 's gone, I want my boys home from soldiering." And 
this seems to be the case with most of the womenkind, as 
they complain that, with constant attempts at revolution, 
there is no surety for the men remaining at home. 



334 SANTO DOMINGO. 

At the public meeting accorded to Mr White, the elite of 
the people of the Cibao were present ; and I was struck by 
the fine forms and intellectual heads of most of those 
present, comprising members of the Church, law, medicine, 
and the leading native merchants. 

Eloquent as Mr White had been in placing before the 
people whom we had hitherto met the nature of his mis- 
sion, he seemed to be more than ever impressed with the 
responsibility resting upon him, especially as here were 
represented the intellectual men of the island, capable of 
taking any position demanded of them by society. 

Referring to their sad history, to their revolutions, and 
to their position (or lack of it) as an independent state, he 
compared their past with their fature, in case they were 
admitted as a part of the American Union. 

Comparing the condition of the island as he saw it with 
what it had been described to him, he expressed the im- 
mense pleasure he had received in their beautiful land, and 
spoke feelingly of the wealth and happiness that would 
be produced naturally by their alliance with some strong 
power ; and he hoped, for their sakes, it would be with the 
United States. Explaining fully the nature of our Govern- 
ment, he cautioned them, if they did not wish to become 
citizens of the United States, it was now time to express 
their views, which .they could all do there openly or meet 
him in private ; but that they must remember, that once 
part of the United States, .there could no longer be 
tolerated discontent and uprising againS't their rulers; that 
a means was provided and a term prescribed when officers 
could be changed, this power being always in the hands of 
the people ; and that, if they earnestly and honestly 
wished to enter the American Union, and were accepted, 
they would have the satisfaction of knowing that, while 
they thus became Americans, they would none the less 
remain Dominicans, a name of which they seemed so 
proud. 



A 



ENTHUSIASM OF MEETING. 335 

These remarks were received with great and evident 
satisfaction, and every one, at the conclusion of his speech, 
rushed forward to take the Commissioner by the hand, 
the rest of us coming in, also, for an occasional '' shake " 
from some enthusiastic ^'man and brother." 



CHAPTER XVin. 



Deliglitf ul change ! how cool the breezes blow, 
And fan the sickly moisture from my brow ! 
The lungs confess their balm ; no more the same, 
Lightness and vigour renovate the frame." 



From Santiago to Monte Cristo — The Puerto Plata Road- 
Fording the Yaqui — Its Bottom Lands— The Vega again — A 
Dangerous Insect — Polite ''^ Guajiro"" — Tobacco Culture — A 
Dry Country but Fine Climate — The Amina and Mao Rivers 
— Some Tropical Habits — Swimming the River at Guayubin 
— A Faro Bank and Hotel — Multiplicity of Generals — 
A Long Ride through a Sterile Country — The Agave Species 
— Mo7ite Cristo — Left Alone on the Island — Manzanillo Bay 
— The Country South of the Yaqui — The Uninhabited Region 
— Crocodiles and Imanas. 



'<b' 



TI7HEN our party reached Santiago, it was found that, 
* * owing to arrangements with the other Commissioners, 
Mr White would not have time to accomplish himself all 
that he desired, in visiting both Puerto Plata and the land 
lying to the north-west of Santiago up to Manzanillo Bay 
and Monte Cristo. As both the Doctor and myself had 
already visited Puerto Plata, the Commissioner requested 
us to make this journey overland, and report to him at 
Monte Cristo, while he joined the ship and came up by sea; 
which arrangement being acceded to, our preparations 
were soon made, we retaining two of the peons (servants), 
with the necessary stores and horses, while the balance of 
the party accompanied Mr White. 

General Cacerees, learning our intention, with great 



« 



ROAD TO MONTE GRISTO. 337 

kindness furnislied us with letters to all the authorities in 
the districts in which we expected to travel, ordering that 
every facility should be shown us for prosecuting our 
journey; and as our projected trip was to within a few 
miles of the Haytian border, on which there was constant 
fighting, it will be seen the orders might prove of good 
service to us. 

The region we were about to visit is famed throughout 
the island as being, so far as climate and healthfulness are 
concerned, a perfect paradise, the only requisite lacking to 
make it a Garden of Eden being a more liberal supply of 
water. 

On the morning, therefore, of March 3, an hour or two 
after Mr White and his party left us, we took our way out 
of Santiago; and fording the Yaqui river, which is the 
same stream we afterwards find at Manzanillo, struck the 
broad wide road that leads all the way to Monte Cristo, 
and which is said to be the only continuous road in the 
island upon which carts can be drawn. 

We found the road dry and dusty, the soil composed of a 
whitish clay, and then red gravel and clay, but it was wide, 
free from mud, well shaded, and bordered with timber, 
and could, with a little care and expense, be made into a 
most excellent waggon-road for transporting to Monte 
Cristo the produce that now seeks Puerto Plata as an 
outlet. 

Travelling this road for about eight miles to where it 
turns off towards Puerto Plata, we found the country so 
uninteresting and unsettled, that we determined to try the 
south bank of the Yaqui, as being less known and more 
interesting, for though a longer route, it runs in and near 
the fine bottom lands of the Yaqui. 

Following, therefore, a small creek, we struck at its 
mouth the main river, whose banks at this point were quite 
low, the river being about 100 yards wide, running swiftly 
over a gravelly bed ; but the current was so strong, that 



338 SANTO DOMINGO. 

we had to change direction and ride our horses directly 
against it, thus making a long sweep across the river, our 
guide remaining upon the shore and pointing with his 
finger the direction we were to keep. Striking the other 
shore, we turned our horses' heads on the now south bank, 
and continued our course through low bottom lands well 
wooded, and which, much to our surprise, we found to be 
well settled, principally by negroes or mulattoes, who 
busied themselves in the raising principally of tobacco; 
the field of plantain, it being understood, is always as 
necessary an adjunct as the roof of the house, for it is upon 
the '^ plantano" that the Dominican countryman lives. 

We found the people along this section generally quite 
poor, indifferent, and without much aim or hope for any- 
thing, except just to live. Occasionally we could find some 
intelligent person that showed more signs or desires for im- 
provement. They were all, however, exceedingly kind and 
communicative to us. We find nowhere the orange tree 
cultivated, nor any of the finer bananas, while the coffee 
and the cocoa and cacao are left to grow wild or by 
accident. 

It was the same old story. 

" Would not all these things grow ?'^ we ask. 

" yes," is the reply. ^^ I suppose they would if they 
were planted." 

*' Why don't you grow them then ? " 

" What is the use ? Who wants them ? There is no 
market for them, and we don't want them. We have all 
we need without the trouble." 

Yet all these alluvial lands were rich in soil and forest 
growth, and the tobacco alone that could be raised would 
amount to an enormous sum, for these lands are of that low, 
moist nature that fine tobacco requires, and similar to those 
in the famous " Vuelta Abajo " of Cuba. 

Riding for some seven miles along this bottom land in a 
fair road bordered on each side by the most luxuriant vege- 



THE CACTUS. 339 



tation, we met with no settlements until we came to 
Platanay, which was simply a congregation of frame huts 
in an open savanna, the population apparently consisting 
of women and dogs. 

Our afternoon ride brought us up into the higher land, 
away from the bottom land, and we soon had evidence of 
the dry nature of the climate of this part of the island in 
the parched, hard nature of the soil; for though of apparently 
good clay, it was baked so hard by the hot sun as to seem 
like stone, the country being almost entirely uninhabited, 
except when we came out upon some savanna-like place 
such as Platanay. We had been having, even in the bottom 
lands, signs of the cactus in many forms, but now we found 
them coming almost exclusively, the short (espargato) thick 
kind, with its broad prickly leaves, being even eaten by 
the cattle. As the sun was getting low we increased our 
pace, entering upon one of the strangest bits of land with 
which I have ever met. In many places the path wound 
up by some strangely formed fissure or chaotic abysss, that 
at a distance looked like rock, but on near approach proved 
to be clay, that from long dryness had split and cracked 
and crumbled, while upon the level plain every variety of 
the cactus was met with, growing in weird and strange 
confusion, and giving with their strange forms and cold grey 
colours, with here and there a dwarf tree, from which the 
dry moss hung down in strange festoons, a spectral, gloomy 
character to the landscape. 

As the shades of night quickly fell, we came upon a rude 
out-of-the-way cemetery, which, it would seem, had been 
fittingly placed here ; for this purgatory, or city of the dead, 
»vas a subject worthy of Dore's pencil. As the gloom of 
night closed over us, we felt we were not in the most 
enviable position, for, riding fast, we were far ahead of our 
servants or guides. We knew not the road, and we knew 
our resting-place for the night must still be some distance 
ofP, with no water near, either for ourselves or our horses. 



340 SANTO DOMINGO. 

The moon, however, coming out from behind the clouds, 
enabled us to see the road or path, or rather one of many; 
but luckily taking the right one we kept on, occasion- 
ally passing through some wide, level plain, upon which 
stood the tall rank grass, burnt dry by the sun, and 
upon which we saw, now and then, cattle, large and fat, 
feeding. 

This is one of the peculiarities of St Domingo. Traverse 
these vast savannas in mid-day, and you see not a living 
thing ; but as soon as the sun goes down, you find coming- 
out from bush and wood and tree, cattle, horses, mules, and 
goats, while you look in vain for the house of the owner. 
With an amount of sense which the stranger would do well 
to imitate, they sleep in mid-day. 

It is my belief, that in this one article alone, the people 
could make themselves rich by raising beef and hides to 
send to the northern markets, if there were any facilities 
for doing so; for cattle have always increased so fast 
here, even without care, that a hide at one time was worth 
more than the whole carcass, and this too only six days 
from New York markets, with meat at fancy prices. 
And there is really no drawback to this, or why herd- 
ing should not be carried on as extensively here as in 
Texas. 

Sometimes a large fly similar to the cantharides, when 
an animal is wounded seizes upon it, and fastening itself to 
the sore deposits there an Qgg^ which afterwards breeds 
into a maggot that gnaws and widens the wound, and finally 
deprives the animal of life. 

I have seen a cow that otherwise was perfect, having 
torn the fiesh of its hind leg, was being gradually killed in 
this way; there it lay without being able to move any 
distance, the insects having actually burrowed into the 
bone, and yet no one thought of attempting a cure, although 
the wound was like a window, so easily could it be looked 
into. 



DOMINICAN TOBACCO. 



341 




Z^ . Mffc-J*-,-'- 



A "Guajira" 



But meeting a " Guajiro " who was returning from water 
with his cattle, we were in- 
formed as to our correct 
road, and putting spurs to 
our tired, thirsty horses, we 
rode rapidly until about two 
hours after sunset, and after 
passing several dry brooks 
and canons, we came out 
upon a level plain, which, 
by the appearance of the 
grass and the cattle, we 
judged produced water, and 
making our way up to the 
only house in sight, we dis- 
covered we were just above 
the Yaqui, on high table land, where, finding we would be 
allowed to swing our hammocks, we made ourselves as com- 
fortable, pending the arrival of our peons, as we could. 

The people with whom we had stopped were more than 
usually intelligent. Both the man and the woman were 
mulattoes or natives, though they claimed to be white, 
and both could read and write. They were much in favour 
of annexation, and spoke of the benefits the country would 
derive from it. Their business was to raise tobacco and 
graze cattle, which, notwithstanding the drought, they said 
grew fat and strong feeding on the leaves of the espenosa, 
a species of cactus. 

To my inquiry why an intelligent man like him did not 
raise better tobacco, and improve the quality of it, he 
replied: ^^ What's the use? Grood, bad, or indifi'erent, 
the merchants pay just the same price for it; there is no 
market to go to except Hamburg, and Dominican tobacco 
has always had such a bad reputation that no higher price 
can be had there for it. If we could go into another 
market where, when the grades are sorted^ a better price 



342 SANTO DOMINGO. 

would be paid according to quality, it would improve us 
and our crops." 

Although it was very dry here, as they thought it, yet 
they could always raise two crops a year, one of tobacco, 
the other of corn. As for the low country, he said he 
could not be induced to change, the climate up here being 
always so good, in which his wife coincided. We found 
the night quite cold enough even with two blankets in our 
hammocks, but the morning air when we arose was superb, 
fresh, and bracing, and as we came from our bath in the 
Yaqui we were prepared to believe all that had been said 
of this paradise of a climate. 

For months and months it never rains a drop, and two 
years ago for one whole year it never rained. This is un- 
usual, for they have their regular rains almost every day in 
July and August, and in the winter, what they call the 
"• Northers," it rains December, January, and February. 

Leaving here at an early hour of the morning, we soon 
came to the Amina river, a pleasant, rapid-running stream, 
and after striking into some bottom lands we came to 
another rapid stream, the Mao, both of which empty into 
the Yaqui. Both of these we forded, the banks in each 
instance being low and well timbered, the bed of the 
stream being small, clean stones. Penetrating the woods 
we came upon a plateau, upon which was placed the 
straggling village of Mao, an assemblage of a dozen or so 
native houses, inhabited by mulatto-coloured people and 
some negroes. The invariable reply to our question, 
" What do you raise here ?" was answered by " Tobacco, 
sn. 

" Won't fruits grow, and cane, and coffee, and cocoa?" 

"Oh, yes ; only we don't raise them.'' 

"Why not?" I ask. 

" Quien sabe, senor." (I don't know.) 

We make a detour, get lost in the bottom lands by the 
river bank, stumbling in our way over quite good-sized 



THE VEGA REAL 



343 



tobacco patches and plantation fields, and finally, being 
gone about six miles out of the way, we were piloted by a 
native Dominican, he having the kindness to ride out of 
his way at least a mile to show us our right road. 

The aspect of this part of the Yega Real is very peculiar 
and changeable; as jovl strike the main stream of the 
Yaqui everything is of the most luxuriant nature, palms 
and vines, and forest trees, covered with the various species 




The Veu;a Real. 



of the orchid, shade a surface thick with grass or green- 
leaved bush. 

Going some distance away from the river, or perhaps 
between two streams, usually emptying into the Yaqui, 
though now dry, the plain stretches out before you, covered 
with stunted vegetation which seems dying from thirst ; 
while as we noticed in the distant mountains of the Monte 



344 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



Cristo range it was constantly showering, but those showers 
did notj strange to say, extend beyond the summit ; and this 
I afterwards discovered to be an actual fact, that while the 
north side is receiving abundance of rain the south is as 
constantly being parched up by drought. 

The new road to which we had been piloted we found 
was the " Real Camino," which, in this case, means some- 
thing, it being a wide, dry mud road, with a sterile tract 
of land on each side, which seemed to be burnt up by the 
hot sun and the lack of water. They talk about the burn- 
ing suns of the 
desert, but^ I 
think it would 
be hard to rival 
this midday sun 
of Dominica, for 
the road was 
utterly devoid of 
shade : there was 
no grass upon 
which to feed the 
horses, and no 
water for mile 
after mile. With 
my pocket-hand- 
kerchief wrapped 
around my head 
Dominican fash- 
ion, a huge palm- 
leaf hat on top, 
and my umbrella 
raised, it seemed 
utterly impossible 
to avoid the rays 
of the sun ; so, thinking the quicker I was out of it the better, 
I put spurs to my horse, and, leaving the Doctor to take it 




Gigantic Cactus 



A SIESTA. 345 



more slowly, I galloped on for shade, grass, and water. 
Hot and hotter it seemed to me as mile after mile I rode 
quickly on. Nothing but dry sterility ; not a house, not 
a human being to be seen anywhere, and not an animal 
even, except a stray comical-looking jackass now and then; 
while, to make matters worse, every brook I came to was 
dry as a bone, and '' earth, earth everywhere, but water 
none." I looked at the cactus in its varied form, many 
species of which were perfectly gigantic, or the beautiful 
aloe plant, with its fresh green leaves and tall -stemmed 
flower, and wondered how they stood it and lived, when, 
happily, just as I was beginning to despair, I discovered 
ahead of me a clump of trees, with a few cattle under 
them, and riding up, my eyes were gladdened by the 
sight of a shallow, clear running stream, well shaded 
by dwarf trees, and some few of a larger growth, 
but no grass of any kind. Here were gathered a num- 
ber of horses, mules, and cattle, all standing quietly 
beneath the trees to keep out of the hot sun. My horse 
was soon tethered after watering, and hoisting my um- 
brella, I made a shelter of it in the sandy bed of the 
stream, stretching myself with intense relief for a siesta, 
taking care to have my revolver in convenient distance in 
case of accident, and then was lost in sleep until disturbed 
by our party, an hour afterwards, just arriving. 

Here is where the newcomer fails in adapting himself to 
the climate, and often brings upon himself sickness and 
suffering ; for in place of following the example of the 
natives, the traveller from the north comes here full of 
energy and life, and imagines he can stand anything, and 
so, perhaps, he can for a time ; but he will eventually find 
that a wise Providence prescribes the life he ought to lead. 
Thus a man, wishing to work or travel, should be out and 
about at five o'clock in the morning, and at ten or eleven 
should shelter himself from the meridian sun until two or 
three, when the cool breezes of the afternoon have arrived, 



346 SANTO DOMINGO. 

and thus he can easily accomplish quite as much and with 
more comfort than in the north. 

Thus learning from experience what we had been fre- 
quently advised of, we remained until the strong afternoon 
breeze set in, and then started for Gruayubin, a small 
village upon the Yaqui, where we were to stop for the 
night. 

Night overtook us before we entered again the rich 
bottom lands on the river ; but, as the moon was bright, 
we were rather glad to continue our journey over a country 
that offered us nothing in the way of scenery, soil, or 
inhabitants. 

Arriving, however, on the banks of the Yaqui, we found 
a small settlement, and were informed we would have to 
canoe the river ourselves and swim our horses, and that 
the boatmen were on the other side. However, we rode 
directly to the river bank, which we found to be some 
fifteen feet high and steep, and here we sat and stood for 
nearly an hour waiting for the ferrymen, who seemed to be 
carousing on the other side. Oar shouts moved them not. 
I bawled to them that, being in a hurry, we wanted to 
cross, at which they seemed to be much amused ; even my 
shouts of ''official business" and "government service" 
were of no avail, until they deemed it worth while, after an 
hour of this work,, to come across for us. A man may be 
pardoned if, under such circumstances, he uses strong lan- 
guage; and I am afraid though ours was good Anglo- 
Saxon, it could not be found in the Shorter Catechism. 

One of the men, we found, was inebriated ; but, as they 
both seemed to understand their business, we allowed them 
to unsaddle our horses, which they led down to the river 
bank, where was a large dugout or canoe. In this were 
placed our saddles ; we stepped in also ; and one negro, 
taking the paddle or pole, placed himself at the stern, 
while the other, taking the halter straps of the two horses 
in his hands, placed himself at the bow. Then there was 



CROSSING THE' RIVER. 347 

a row, the horses pulled and backed, and the canoe rocked 
and turned till I thought we should get a bath also ; but 
finally, with shouts and pulls, the horses were got into the 
water immediately over their heads. Then the swift cur- 
rent took us, steered by the paddle; the horses snorted, 
and plunged, and swam, their heads being supported by 
the negro in the bow ; every few yards we came to a sort of 
bay or shoal, on which the horses were allowed to get their 
footing, then another push and a swim, and so on to the 
other side. Here, a few yards from the shore, we had to 
saddle up, as the canoe could go no farther; and, mounting 
our wet, tired horses, we rode up the bank, where we found 
a guard drawn up, this seeming to be an advanced post. 
A few words to the sergeant and the use of the General's 
name gave us rapid directions for the village, which place 
we soon found, much to our gratification. Having a 
special order to the General of the district, and asking for 
his house, we were shown to the centre of the town, where 
we found a low, one-storied house of two rooms, well lit 
up. Dismounting, we showed our letter, and was told the 
General was not there, but would be soon. The brother of 
the General then came forward, and he was informed we 
needed shelter for ourselves and food for our horses. The 
house was placed at our disposal in which to hang up our 
hammocks, the poverty of the place, he said, not permitting 
him to offer other accommodations. Wet, tired, and 
hungry, we tied our horses and entered. The first room 
had a billiard table, upon which some persons were playing, 
while behind it, in the corner, was a faro bank surrounded 
by players. Turning from this room we were ushered into 
another one, where already two hammocks swung and a 
bed was placed. We were too tired to be critical, and the 
offer of some hot punch made of eggs, rum, milk, and nut- 
meg, not only mollified us, but furnished us what we 
needed in the shape of meat and drink, as we were by this 
time accustomed to short rations. 



348 SANTO DOMIXGO. 

The Greneral, Don Frederico Garcia, accompanied by 
several others, soon made his appearance, and apologised 
for his inability to treat ns better, but was j)i'ofuse in his 
offers of assistance. He seemed to be a fine, frank, manty 
fellow, qnite handsome, and every inch a soldier in his 
carriage. He immediately presented ns to his friends, 
whom he also honoured with the title of general. This 
made about the sixty-fifth general we had met with since 
we had been upon the island ; but, as yet, never a com- 
pany of soldiers had been seen. Ah! well, it is only " cosa 
Dominicana," I suppose. 

Our baggage having arrived, and hammocks hung, we 
excused ourselves on the plea of fatigue, and tumbled into 
our bags, where, happilj^, we were oblivious of everything. 
Bright and early the General came to see us, and finding 
us determined to start immediately, kindly gave us a dragoon 
to show us the road and take us to his (the General's) 
father's, half-way on the road to Monte Cristo, where we 
were to breakfast; and swallowing our coffee and bit of 
bread, we were soon en route, following the river for some 
distance ; then leaving behind us the fine tract of bottom- 
land in which Guayubin is situated, we were soon again 
upon the dry, hard soil of this upper country, that appears 
only fit to grow cacti or browse goats, innumerable herds of 
which we met on our road. 

A sharp ride of three hours brought us to the house of 
Don Ambrosio Garcia, the father of the General. Here 
upon a knoll, standing a little way back from the roadside, 
was the plain but commodious dwelling-house, without a 
blade of grass, a tree, or even a piazza to shelter the 
occupants from the sun ; but such a magnificent site, and 
still more superb air, made amends for this ; and the kindly 
way in which Madam received us and bade us welcome was 
extremely pleasant. Breakfast was soon prepared for us, 
to which we did ample justice. We had hardly finished it 
when Don Ambrosio arrived, and welcomed us to his house 



TEE COTTON PLANT, 349 

most cordially. He liad just come in two hours from Monte 
Cristo, our destination. 

Perhaps if the isle of Dominica were peopled entirely 
by such men as the two G-arcias, father and son, it would 
to-day be something in the political world ; for here was 
one of the most pleasant, intelligent, courtly men with 
whom we had met. His grandfather was an Englishman, 
his mother a Spaniard, I believe ; but, at all events, he was 
a warm advocate for annexation, which would be the salva- 
tion of the country, in his opinion. He had owned this 
land for a lifetime, and would not change it for any place 
in the low country. The wife, who had been born and 
bred in Santiago, was of the same opinion, on account 
of its extreme healthfulness, good roads, and purity of 
air. 

Don Ambrosio talked about the dryness of the soil and 
the scarcity of water, and then took us out to his canuco or 
farm, to show us the orange, the pea, the bean, the tomato, 
corn, pumpkin, squash, a number of native fruits, and, like 
a small tree, the cotton plant growing upon what he and 
others called sterile soil,becausej forsooth, without machinery, 
or wells, or cisterns, or even the simplest agricultural 
implements, it did not grow the cane, coffee, and cocoa, 
all of which require more or less water. 

I asked him, did he ever plough the land ? He replied, 
he had never had a plough, and didn't believe there was 
one on the island (which was true enough) ; but that, if he 
had, he could make his land very valuable by turning the 
soil in the rainy season. This, he said, was very irregular ; 
but they generally had plenty of rain throughout the year, 
though at times it was very dry. Professor Blake and 
Major Macgrue, old Calif ornians, have since told me that 
all this district, from what they have seen, resembles very 
much California; and that, with irrigation, this would be 
first-rate agricultural land for any and everything. But 
even now there are two things that can be o^rown there that 



;50 



SAX TO DOMIXGO. 



are invaluable. I allude to tlie cotton plant, which, in 
place of being a simple busli planted from the seed each 
year, is here a tree, growing two and three years, which 




The Cotton Tree. 



needs only to be trimmed and pruned to produce a large 
yield of the finest cotton — quite equal, some say, to the sea 




FLOWERING ALOE. 



VALLEY OF THE TAQUL 351 

island; and not only white in colour, but of the kind known 
as Nankeen. 

The other article is that of the '^ Cabulla " (Foucroya 
Cubense of botanists), a species of agave, from the fibres 
of which they get an article of hemp, of which most all the 
rope on the island is made, and which, being mixed with 
" sisal " hemp, makes splendid rope. Both of these grow 
naturally without care on this dry land, and with care 
and cultivation could be made to flourish in extensive 
plantations. 

All of this apparently sterile region is the home of the 
cactii, of which I counted more than a dozen species, while 
the family of agaves are seen in an immense variety ; and 
we found specimens of the aloe in flower, with a stem over 
fifteen feet high, — the most superb specimens we had ever 
seen. 

Don Ambrosio speaks of the disputed ground partly in 
possession of the Haytians, as being the garden-spot of the 
island, extending across to Azua on the frontier. While he 
described the entire valley of the Yaqui as consisting of a 
fertile stripe of alluvial lands adjoining the river, thence a 
high rolling plain extending on both sides to the base of 
the mountains ; the lower portion of the rolling plain, 
capable of irrigation, and with irrigation capable of produc- 
ing every species of tropical vegetation, especially sugar- 
cane. 

The southern slope of the northern hills is generally dry 
for about fifty miles from Monte Cristo ; but the north side 
of the southern range is very fertile. All of these dry lands 
are, however, especially valuable for cotton. Of course, 
during the wet season, the whole character of the country 
is changed ; everything then becomes bright, fresh, and 
green ; and this is about equal to our summer and spring, 
occurring in April, May, June, and July. 

Notwithstanding these dry seasons, the cattle, horses, 
and mules do extremely well, for the region is remarkably 
27 



352 SANTO DOMINGO. 



healthy, and the former, when there is no grass, eat the 
espargato. 

Kefreshed with our rest, including a siesta in the 
hammock, we left late in the afternoon the house of Garcia, 
where we had been so hospitably treated, and started on 
our journey for Monte Cristo, some twelve miles off, in a 
country of the same character we were now in. 

As the sun was just preparing to set into the horizon, 
we mounted the ridge that separated us from the sea, and 
then bursting on our view was a superb scene indeed. 
From the high point on which we stood the road descended 
into an extensive plain, broken a little to the left by a low 
hill, beyond whose crest could just be seen the roofs of the 
houses in the village of Monte Cristo, the land stretching 
down to a sandy, level coast; to the right, the plain, through 
which a small stream of brackish water ran, extended to a 
bold, high hill, known by its various names. La Grrange 
(the Barn, given it by Columbus), and the " Morro," and 
which, making into the sea in front of the town, formed, 
with another strip of abrupt land, the promontory, inside 
of which was the spacious bay of Monte Cristo, in which 
now rested only a few fishing boats, where, in times gone 
by, rode merchant vessels from other climes. 

Descending the hill by a winding road we entered the 
little village, that is all that remains of the once populous, 
large, and important town of Monte Cristo, now simply the 
depot for receiving mahogany and other woods from the 
neighbouring country, to be shipped in small schooners to 
Puerto Plata, whence it goes to the European markets. 
Here we were hospitably housed in the warehouse of a 
German merchant, there being no hotels of any kind. 

We had hardly reached Monte Cristo when we found the 
Nantasket coming into the harbour with Commissioner 
White on board, and after remaining only long enough to 
get some fresh provisions, and take the Doctor on board, 
she steamed out of the harbour en route for home via Hayti. 




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MONTE GRISTO. 353 

Although I had intended to investigate the island more 
fully than the others, it was not without considerable 
regret that I saw my companions take their departure, and 
leave me to pursue my journey alone ; for the pleasant 
intercourse of the Commissioner and the Doctor had made 
very agreeable a journey through these tropic wilds, that 
would otherwise have been only interesting. But the 
Doctor did his best to leave me in a cheerful frame of mind, 
as I saw the last of him Tshallow water preventing stepping 
from shore into boat), perched upon the shoulders of a 
stalwart sailor, his pockets filled with fruits of various 
kinds, a bundle of native hemp in one hand, while the 
other held carefully a superb specimen of the aloe flower, 
his umbrella protruding from under his arm. 

And so our ]3leasant party was broken up ; the many 
days of rough, hard journeying over, and the pleasant 
talk we had at our jolly mess all done ; and I left to pursue 
my further investigations all alone. 

Although the present town of Monte Cristo is a place 
of comparatively little importance, not being an open port, 
and the population only a few hundreds, it has in its time, 
as previously mentioned, in the past history of St Domingo 
occupied a prominent place, and one, as we have said, likely 
again to be occupied, in case of an improvement in its 
affairs. 

It is stated to have had at one time a population of 
26,000, with its houses well built of stone, while upon 
the prominent points around were quite considerable forts, 
not a vestige of which now remain. 

In the time when the Yaqui also emptied its waters into 
the bay, there was no difficulty in obtaining fresh water, 
whether for the inhabitants or for the shipping that then 
frequented the port. 

From the fact that this source is now changed, Man- 
zanillo has become more of a place of shelter for vessels, 
although there is yet in that bay no town, and it is more 



354 SANTO DOMINGO. 

than probable that, with its natural advantages, it will be- 
come a formidable rival to Monte Cristo. 

Both of these places, however, are the natural shipping 
points of an immense and superb tract of country lying to 
the south of them. 

Monte Cristo is likely to prove an important point in the 
island, if ever the enterprise and energy that American 
annexation shall bring sets in; for this is the most accessible 
point from the interior of La Yega and Santiago, and, with 
a road made over which waggons could go, all the tobacco 
that now Seeks a market upon mule-back by the fearful path 
down the mountain to Puerto Plata would come here for 
shipment. A hundred thousand bales of tobacco even now 
find their way to market each year, upon which a tax of two 
to three dollars per bale has to be paid for transporting it the 
small distance of sixty miles — a business that in old times was 
done here at Monte Cristo. 

Twelve miles west of Monte Cristo is the superb harbour 
formed by the Bay of Manzanillo, with clear water, the 
bottom at sixteen fathoms beiug seen. It is a bay equal, 
or even better, than Samana, though perhaps not so exten- 
sive, being five or six miles wide, and seven long, having 
also small arms and coves. In places the water is so deep 
that vessels can anchor with their bowsprits touching the 
shore. 

The shores are well* wooded, the red mangrove predomina- 
ting, from which it is presumed the reputed unhealthiness 
of the place arises. 

There is abundance of rain there, and the great river of 
Yaqui, which runs by Santiago, naturally empties into this 
bay ; but at present a lagoon is formed, caused by obstruc- 
tions, sand, snags, &c., that have formed all the way down 
from Peladero. This lagoon extends for about eight miles 
square, and is gradually working its way back to the 
interior, covering up the low wooded lands in its vicinity, 
and thus forming the lagoon, in which abound innumerable 



THE CAYMAN. 



355 



fish; and here also the ^^ cayman," for which the waters of 
the island are famous, makes his home. 

Manzanillo Bay lies in a direction from north-west to 
south-east, and extends into the island a distance of about 
ten miles, and has emptying into it a number of streams be- 




Cayman. 

sides the Yaqui, the principal one of which is the Massacre, 
or Dajabon, famous for its pure water. 

The water of the Yaqui is also exceedingly pure, and the 
lagoon or lake formed by it has an average depth of five 
or six feet, but the channel varies from eight to fifteen feet; 
so that steamers might easily find their way through it, 
were it not for the old logwood forests tlirough which the 
river passes. 



356 SANTO DOMINGO. 

Forcing one's way through the water-plants and swamp- 
timber, you at last come in sight of the river Yaqui itself, 
nearly 250 yards wide at this point, with its waters so clear 
that the fishes and caymans in it can be distinctly seen. 

Originally the Yaqui emptied into the bay at Monte 
Cristo also, as it had two mouths, but it has now become 
dammed up, as above described ; but it is considered feasible 
to open the channel again, which would give fresh water 
to Monte Cristo, and restore the fertile lands in immense 
quantities, now overflown by the lagoon. It is said that 
the river can be made navigable for flat-boats and small 
stern-wheelers all the way to Santiago. 

Residents in this vicinity state there is a natural change 
going on at this mouth of the river, which in a few years 
may throw it back to its natural bed, leading out by Monte 
Cristo, for the various channels are now being entirely 
closed up by the numerous trees and obstructions that 
the river carries down, and which form what is called in 
Dominican parlance a " balza " or bay, similar to those 
formed in the Mississippi, and which throws the natural 
course of the river into the woods on each side. 

Both sides of this river, from the lagoon up to the 
Maguaco, are covered with logwood tracts, in width from 
one to three miles, the wood being of good quality, straight 
and thick ; and it is said that, working it economically, and 
cutting down only the trees of larger growth, eight to ten 
thousand tons may be annually extracted from this quarter, 
as the trees grow very fast. The difficulty in exporting 
this article at present is the distance required for trans- 
portation, which, with the workmen's wages, makes the 
expense too great. 

All the lands south of the Yaqui bordering the river, 
from Manzanillo to Guayubin, are extremely fertile, and a 
number of small settlements are scattered throughout the 
section. Tobacco, wax, and honey are produced in abun- 
dance; but the two latter, from the want of cooperage 



MAHOGANY TREES. 357 

and easy conveyance, are not at present valuable as pro- 
ducts, though immense quantities could be exported. 

The " sierra," or range of mountains that extend from 
the southern boundary to this section, and that run nearly 
parallel with the Yaqui river, furnish abundance of maho- 
gany of the finest kind. 

This grows in "manchas," as it is called, or clumps of from 
fifteen to twenty trees close together, while for some distance 
no other mahogany- trees will be found ; and it is according 
as these trees are more or less convenient to water or 
means of transport that they are cut down. For this reason, 
at all accessible points mahogany has become somewhat 
rare, but in the interior, even at short distances in the 
impenetrable forests, there is abundance of this valuable 
wood, together with fustic, lignum vitas, ebony, and many 
other valuable woods hardly known. 

Our hardy lumbermen from the Middle and New England 
States, with their experience and sawmills, would find a 
mine of gold in all these timbered lands of St Domingo, 
some of the most precious and choice logs having at times 
sold in England as high as £100 ($500). 

The present mode of getting out this timber is very rude. 
A merchant, for example, buys the right, at a trifling sum, 
to cut down in certain tracts all the mahogany he can 
find. Then with a party he penetrates into the forest, 
and at the most accessible point selects his trees, which 
are cut down, and divided into various pieces, according 
to the mode of transportation, which in every case is 
exceedingly difficult ; if by water, then the logs are larger, 
but most generally oxen are used to haul the small 
pieces through the woods, and this done, even then it 
has to be often recut into smaller pieces, easy to carry on 
mule-back; and it is no uncommon sight to see, in 
the woods or on the road, trains of these diminutive 
animals each with a small square piece of mahogany in the 
straw panniers carried on each side. 



358 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



Sometimes the wood is so heavy that, in water trans- 
portation, it sinks ; and again, the mud is so deep, it can- 
not possibly be hauled further, and is therefore left on the 
road to decay. 

All of this territory that I have been describing is known 




The Iguana. 

as the "• Despoblado " (uninhabited), as, being near to 
the Haytian frontier, it has always been a desolated ground, 
although some of it comprises the finest land in the island. 
The soil is rich enough to grow sugar, coffee, rice, and 
tobacco on all the levels ; the hills furnish the wood, while 
in the savannas the cattle can be raised in large quantities, 



THE IGUANA. . 359 



the guinea-grass growing as high as the knee of a man on 
horseback. 

The cayman on all these rivers is said to abound, while 
the famous "iguana," a species of the lizard family, not 
only abounds, but is said here to become dangerous from its 
great size, some of them reaching ^yq feet in length. 

A resident described them to me as being " more 
audacious than the cayman, though not to be compared in 
length or strength with the latter. Anyhow, I do not care 
to meet them on foot, as they turn round like a snake ; while 
a man is all right in the face of an alligator, whose only 
fearful weapon is his tail — the claws and teeth only work 
afterwards ; but this cussed old iguana jumps about like a 
dog, and can turn round ten times in a minute." Its flesh, 
however, is eaten as a great delicacy, the example having 
been set by the early Spaniards, who described it as a 
serpent, and at first refused to touch it; but the " Adelan- 
tado " (Bartholomew Columbus) being enticed by the 
pleasantness of the cacique's sister, Anacaona, determined to 
taste of the serpent. But when he felt the flesh thereof to 
be so delicate to his tongue, he fell to without fear, — an 
example which his followers seeing," (fee. 

I saw here some of the largest terrapins with which I 
have ever met, and they are found in abundance in the 
waters of all parts of the island. Listening to the account 
given by a merchant, over a barrelfal of them, of the mode 
of their capture, I laughed incredulously, and said it was 
equal to St Mery's story of the dogs of the island, who, 
wishing to swim the rivers, and being afraid of the caymans, 
place themselves at some place on the bank, and there yelp 
and bark, until seeing they have drawn all these monsters 
to one place, they (the dogs) start off to another point as 
hard as they can go, and there safely swim across. 

" Not only," said my friend, " can I vouch for the truth 
of that story, but I will add that the mules often resort to 
that artifice, too, to get across the rivers ; and I have seen 



360 SANTO DOMINGO. 

them do it." Such being the case, I am bound to believe 
his account of terrapin-hunting reliable, more especially as I 
had ocular demonstration that the terrapins were caught. 

These gather together in the shallow water under the 
crocodiles or caymans, as they rest with their backs exposed 
in some sunny place in slumber. 

The negro women, who by the by have not the slightest 
fear of the cayman, knowing this, seek these sleeping 
monsters, and gently tickling them on the belly, cause 
them to turn over, when the women quickly seize the 
terrapins beneath. 



i 



CHAPTER XIX. 

" Favoured of Nature, Eden of the seas ! 
"Where beauty, health, and plenty join to please ! 
Clime of the sun ! yet fanned with cooling air ! 
Brighter than summer, yet than spring more fair ! 

. . . Let industry secure 
Wealth to thy plains, and commerce to thy shore I " 



The North Coast Line from Monte Cristo to Puerto 
Plata. — Zack of Water — Advantages of Irrigation — Tobacco 
Preparation — Dominican Soldiers and Haytian Battles — ■- 
'Country Hospitality — Used-up Horses — Fresh Start — The 
" Fuerta de los Hidalgos^' — Bottom Lands of the Coast — Im- 
promptu Cooking — Old Isabella — Laguna — Domestic Economy 
— A Long Ride — Flayed-out Horse — The Road from Sa?ttiago 
to Fuerto Flata — The Requeros — Rough Accommodatio7is — 
Bad Road to Fuerto Flata — Arrival there and Departure, 

WISHING- to examine tlie country lying between tlie 
Yaqui river and the coastj and extending from Monte 
Cristo down to Puerto Plata, I took my leave of the former 
place, and making an early start, began my journey in that 
direction, although I had many misgivings about my horse 
and those of my attendants, which, from their long and 
arduous journeyings, and the poor food with which they 
had been supplied, showed signs of giving out. 

Strangely enough, although corn grows in abundance at 
the least two crops in the year, it is with the greatest 
difficulty the traveller can in most places purchase enough 
grain with which to feed his horse, and he is therefore 
compelled to trust to the guinea-grass, or avail himself of 



362 SANTO DOMINGO. 

patches " of corn planted simply for fodder, no attention 
being paid to the grain. Thus the poor animals are worked 
and starved to death, never being groomed or attended to, 
and in many cases it is simply their hardy natures that 
saves them from a miserable death. 

For the first twenty-four miles my road was the same as 
that by which I had come, namely, from Monte Cristo to 
Guayubin. Traversing it in daytime, I was better able to 
see the country, which, as I have before stated, is generally 
very dry, very little settled, and called sterile, though, from 
what I have already written, it will be seen that all that it 
needs to make it fertile is a simple system of irrigation. * 

About twelve miles out I met our friend, Don Frederico 
Garcia, the commandant and governor of the province, on 
his way up to Monte Cristo, and thence to the frontier for 
a little scout against Luperon. He was accompanied by 
quite a number of distinguished (?) generals and others, all 
mounted on horseback, to whom I was introduced with 
much formalit}^ We had some pleasant words together ; 
and on bidding them good-bye, I saluted General Garcia, 
hoping that his desires might be soon gratified, and that 
then we could both shake hands as " Americanos." " God 
grant it,'' he said, '' and you must embrace me as your 
friend and brother anyhow ; " whereupon, spurring his 

* While in England, it has been the good fortune of the author to meet 
with Lieutenant Woodward of the Eoyal Engineers, now acting as Assistant 
Commissioner of Irrigation in the Island of Ceylon, From him I learned that 
many parts of that island are similar to those of St Domingo, but that by a 
simple system of irrigation thousands of acres of land that had been considered 
as worthless and sterile have been rendered fertile and productive, by bringing 
the waters of the various rivers over the land at certain periods. 

This has been easily accomplished by erecting dams in the various streams, 
which, being filled during the season of high water, have been flooded upon 
the land in the dry season. 

This system could be easily adapted to St Domingo, where there are no 
lack of watercourses ; and so naturally adapted are their banks and the 
nature of the country through which they pass, this could be accomplished at 
a very trifling expense in comparison with the immense value of the lands 
they would thus bring under luxuriant cultivation. 



M 



TOBACCO PREPARATION. 363 

horse close to mine, lie threw his arms around me and gave 
me a most hearty embrace. 

Now as '^Frederico" is a fine-looking, handsome white 
soldier, this little ceremony was not so bad, but when Gene- 
ral , a stalwart jet-black negro, pushed his horse up to 

mine, and said, '^ Yo tambien (I also), sir," I confess I felt 
a little weak in my patriotism, but still allowed him to give 
me a good square squeeze, taking care to avoid the threat- 
ened embraces of the rest of the party, on the plea that my 
horse was a little weak and tired, and I must hurry on ; so 
with more hand-shaking and hearty good-byes, we parted 
the best friends in the world. 

My poor horse, fatigued with his constant journeyings 
on the island, was utterly overcome before I reached 
Guayubin by the heat and thirst, which latter he was 
entirely unable to allay from want of water the whole of 
this distance. On arriving near the bottom lands of the 
Yaqui, he was so utterly used up, that I had to dismount 
and lead him a mile or so to the house of SeSor Kodriguez, 
to whom I had a short note of introduction, where, by the 
assistance of one of their people, he was conducted slowly 
to a watering-place, where he was able to cool his mouth, 
now parched almost to dry leather, while I availed myself 
of the opportunity of taking a short siesta in the ubi- 
quitous hammock, pending the arrival of my escort, which 
I had considerably outdistanced. As all of Rodriguez's 
family were away, I sent my '^ peons " on to Guayubin, 
only a mile or two farther, to order my mid-day meal, and 
see if it were possible to procure fresh horses, as all of those 
I had were almost entirely knocked up. 

At this house I had the chance to study their primitive 
way of preparing the tobacco for market and for domestic 
cigar manufacture; it is of the most rude and simple 
nature, the tobacco being merely run over while dry, and 
piled up in quantities enough to fill a ceroon, without regard 
to colour, perfection, or quality of leaf, all being stowed 



364 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



indiscruninately in a pile inside the matting. Yet, witli 
care, the tobacco of St Domingo can, I believe, be made as 
valuable in the marts of commerce as that of Cuba. Some 
of that I smoked in the uplands of the interior was quite 
as high flavoured and good as that of the best Yuelta Abao, 
and doubtless, if care were used in its curing, large quan- 




Lizards. 



titles would be equally good, that are now only passable, 
from negligence or ignorance in preparation. 

Having refreshed myself at Guayubin, I found I could 
not be supplied there with fresh horses. 

The secretary of the G-eneral, however, who, though a 
negro, seemed to be master of several languages, advised 
me to go on a few miles farther to a place called " Villa 
Lobo," where there was a superior ^' Coronel Commandant," 



DOMINICAN SOLDIERS. 365 

who might be able to furnish me a dragoon and horses, 
and to whom he wrote me a note of introduction. 

Starting off my escort, therefore, slowly, I gave instruc- 
tions to my guides where to meet me, and their gait being 
so exceedingly slow and tiresome, I set off alone at a 
more rapid gait, in order to see more of the country by 
daylight. 

It is a peculiar feature in this island that everywhere in 
the dryest sections the moment you come near a water- 
course or river the whole aspect of the country changes 
from dry sterility to that of the most luxuriant vegetation ; 
so that the traveller in these dry regions usually tells his 
approach to water by the gradually-improved appearance 
of the vegetation and soil. Thus it is around Guayubin in 
every direction, for near it are some of the best lands on 
the island, while the town itself is situated on the finest 
bottom lands bordering the river, where everything grows 
of which it is possible to conceive. 

Leaving again the town behind me, I found, as I 
gradually travelled on, the country to fall somewhat back 
into the dry and sandy nature of the soil about Monte 
Cristo, though here and there I came across patches of 
tolerably good land. 

Not a soul did I meet nor a living creature did I see, as 
I rode on mile after mile, if I except those lively little 
fellows the lizards, which, of every size and colour, con- 
stantly in their quick nervous manner crossed my path, or 
rushed from their hiding-places in the grassy paths of the 
woods, alarmed by my horse's feet. 

Night soon overtook me on my lonely road, and I was 
not sorry to join company with three wild-looking soldiers, 
as they informed me they were going the same road — 
two of whom were on foot, the third being mounted on a 
diminutive jackass, with the rations and arms of the party. 
I kept company with them for some time ; but thinking to 
make time, and having received instructions about my road, 
28 



366 SANTO DOMINGO. 

I continued on, until, in entering a woody defile, it became 
so dark that I mistook the white, gravelly bed of a dry 
stream for the road, up which I rode some distance, over 
rocks, jumping trees, and struggling against branches 
overhead, until I finally brought up against the precipitous 
bank ; but the moonlight coming to my assistance, I dis- 
covered my mistake, and retraced my steps to the point 
where I had lost the road, being guided thereto by the 
songs of the soldiers, who had come up and were passing 
on ahead of me. I soon rejoined them, and was amused 
and interested by their accounts of soldier-life in St 
Domingo, arid the general service of the army. There 
is one thing to be said about these Dominicans, and that is, 
they could, with d^ill and discipline, be made the best of 
infantry soldiers, for they think nothing of starting off and 
marching their forty-five to sixty miles per day, day in and 
day out, apparently without any fatigue, and on food that 
we would not think could keep body and soul together. As- 
I rode alongside the mounted one, the two footmen kept 
always ahead, singing at the top of their voices some 
Dominican refrain, which seemed to enliven their weary 
journey. 

They gave me some amusing accounts of their fights 
with the Haytians, and seemed to hold them in great con- 
tempt, as they (the Dominicans) did not hesitate to attack 
with the odds against them of sometimes five to one. At 
the time I considered this as braggadocio, but I was 
credibly informed by a Haytian general that this was 
absolutely the fact, as the Haytian people were not fond 
of fighting, and they dreaded the machete of the Domini- 
can soldiers, a sort of sword with which all Dominicans 
of the lower ranks are armed, whether they are soldiers or 
civilians. 

An eye-witness described to me, in amusing terms, 
one of these fights, in which the two parties approached 
each shouting with all their might; then the Haytians 



HAYTIAN BATTLES. 



367 



would fire in tlie air, thinking the noise would scare their 
opponents ; but the latter, drawing their swords, 
would rush in, and compel the Haytians to seek 
covert, and thus sometimes a whole day would 
be spent by these people, to the number of several 
hundreds, without any one being hurt, and yet it 
would be called a great battle, each side claiming 
a victory.* 

Coming to a halt in a narrow path in the woods, 
the party informed me that, turning a little to 
the left, I would come to the place of which I was 
in search; and bidding me good-bye, they started 
off, leaving me under their instructions to find myself 
in front of a large house in an open savanna, before 
which was blazing a large fire, and about which were 
gathered a number of soldiers. Inquiring for the 
commandant, I found, with my usual luck, he 
had gone back from whence I had just come, but that his 
wife was there. I asked for her, when, from a crowd of 
women at the door, there arose one who said she was that 
lady. Handing her the note and telling her my needs, 
she remarked that she could not read it; that there were no 
horses, but that I was welcome to make myself as comfort- 
able as I could. As the prospects were not very attractive 
for a long stay, I thanked her very kindly, and having 
the address of a well-to-do planter in the neighbourhood, 
I hired a guide to show me the way to his house, leaving 
word with my peons to come up with me. 

'• Villa Loba " I found to be a large scattered settle- 



iliichete. 



* The author happened to be near a place where there was a skirmish in 
which Luperon, with a party of some ten men, came very near being cap- 
tured, being compelled to take to the woods, several of his party being 
killed or captured, as was also his horse and equipments with private papers. 
The whole number engaged on both sides was not over twenty-five men, and 
yet I saw in the organ of Cabral, as well as in some American papers, an 
account which purported to be that of a tremendous battle, in which, of 
course, the " Patriot" party were the victors. 



368 SANTO DOMING 0. 

ment on some very excellent land, most of the smaller huts 
being occupied by negroes, while the larger places, or 
" canucos," were inhabited by well-to-do whites or mulat- 
toes. In a short time I arrived at the house I was seeking, 
the moon happily serving to show us our road, over which 
it was only by beatings and spurring of the guide and 
myself that my now utterly used-up horse was conducted. 

No sooner had I arrived and made my wants known, 
than I was invited in the most hospitable manner to dis- 
mount, enter, and make myself at home, my poor horse 
being immediately looked after. On entering the house, 
I found it to be a substantial wooden building in the usual 
fashion of the country, with several rooms, the main one 
being filled with quite a number of women of all ages, 
busying themselves by candlelight in shelling the native 
white and red bean, or "frijole," of the country. Of 
course my advent created great interest, and they chattered 
and worked at a great rate until the arrival of my peons 
and horses put a finishing touch to their curiosity, and 
they all prepared to clear up the room, that I might 
swiug my hammock and make myself comfortable for the 
night. 

I found all of these women kind, bright, and intelligent, 
with a natural dignity and refinement quite surprising in 
people of their habits and situation, and the younger 
people I found could read and write, while several books 
of poetry in Spanish, and one or two illustrated French 
magazines, showed some disposition for and power of 
knowledge. 

Here it v/as decided that my present horses were utterly 
unfit to prosecute the long and tedious journey I had before 
me to Puerto Plata, and I therefore made my arrange- 
ments to discharge my guide Simon and the horses that had 
come all the way with us from St Domingo city, my host 
making arrangements to send me in the morning with his 
brother and two horses to the old town of Isabella or Laguna, 



I 2 Jt <> M. 




n 



PRIMITIVE SUGAR-MILL. 



369 



and everything being ordered for an early start in tlie morn- 
ing, I was soon, after my long day's journey, sound in the 
most refreshing of slumbers in my hammock. 

I found in conversation with my host that, like all these 




Primitive Sugar-Mill. 

places, tobacco was the principal product, with the *^ pla- 
tan o " for food ; but 
that everything could 
be grown easily in the 
way of sugar - cane, 
coffee, and chocolate, 
to say nothing of 
hundreds of smaller 
fruits and vegetables. 
I saw, on examining 
his sugar-mill, that it 
was of the rudest de- 
scription, a simple -^>^,'^^-.vc^? 

,.,.,,, , Sugar-Boilers. 

"trapiche or wooden 

mill of three upright rollers of wood, worked by a one- 




370 SANTO DOMINGO. 

horse power, the juice being conducted in a rude wooden 
trough to two small open-air boilers or pans of rude construc- 
tion, not holding, either of them, over ten gallons of juice, 
and from this there was manufactured a limited quantity 
of rum and syrup for home consumption ; and these were 
actually the only kind of sugar-mills I saw in operation 
in any part of my journey ings in St Domingo. 

These people, though probably of the most intelligent 
country class, seemed to have no idea of improved labour, 
of beautifying places, of increased comfort, or of solid, sub- 
stantial, nourishing food. They have never seen any better, 
they know no better, and I doubt if they desire better, 
unless example is set before them. 

I asked my host, as politely as I could, so as not to give 
offence, for the amount I was indebted to him for his 
hospitality, the food of my horses, &c. 

"• Senor," said he, " I am a plain man; I know nothing 
of the customs of the world, and how a stranger should be 
treated as he deserves ; but I do what I know and feel. I 
have no account against you. There, you see, is the broad 
public road ; it comes very near my house, from which you 
can always see it. Whenever you come this way, and you 
want food and shelter either for yourself or your horses, 
believe me this house is yoars just as much as it is mine, 
and you are welcome." 

So with a hearty shake of the hand, and laughing good- 
byes from eyes and lips of the bevy of women at the door, 
I rode off in charge of the brother of my host, with many 
" God speeds " and '' Pleasant journeys." 

And this has invariably been my experience of the 
country people of St Domingo. Quiet and inoffensive, 
devoid generally of education, unaccustomed to the ways of 
the world ; yet they have always shown themselves hospit- 
able to a fault, as far as their means would permit ; and 
their natural intelligence and instincts are so good, that 
any one would be quickly undeceived who took them for 



PASS OF TEE GAYALIERS. 



371 



fools, while readily receiving a lesson from tlieni in quiet 
good-breeding. 




Puerta de los Hidalgos (Pass of the Cavaliers). 



372 SAyrO DOJIIXGO. 

Our road led tlirough a beautiful rolling country. 
gradually ascending in its general tendency, being well 
wooded, with occasional open lands ; but the entire country 
being well adapted, I should think, to cane and coffee. 

There are two roads leading from this section over the 
mountains to the coast, one farther to the west, and the 
other the famous pass of Columbus, the '* Puerta de los 
Hidalgos" (Pass of the Cavaliers), so named because when 
Columbus penetrated to the interior of the island, he came 
by this route, then the only one known ; and this was so 
difficult, that in order to permit their horses and supplies 
to be got through, the young cavaliers went to work, and 
with their own hands removed the rocks and cut away the 
underbush to open a passage ; and in honour of the energy 
manifested by these young soldiers, it received the above 
name. It was the first-made road in the !N"ew World, and. 
as we found by experience, a fail' type of the mountain 
roads of St Domingo. 

Soon after leaving Don Antonio's, we had struck a 
gradually ascending country, until we gained the mo\mtaiu 
side, and struggled up nearly to the top. Here a rocky 
path, that looked as if it might be the bed of a mountain 
torrent, offered us the only means of descent; and this, 
the guide informed me, was the famous pass. Slipping and 
scrambling, now almost lying down on the horse's back, or 
again hugging his neck, we managed to get down somehow ; 
but the excitement and the grandeur of the scene repaid me 
for the apparent danger. 

The sides were mostly precipitous, while huge masses of 
rock lay scattered in wild confusion here and there in our 
path, which was covered on each side with trees and 
bushes, some of the former of enormous growth, the 
branches frequently meeting above our heads in such a way 
as almost to exclude the light of day. Through this wild 
path we came to a turn in the road, which exposed to our 
view, above the openings in tlie trees, the blue ocean of the 



WILB HOGS. 373 



north coast. This was a peculiar sight, for standing as we 
were upon the top of the mountain, and looking over the 
vast extent of forest that intervened between us and the 
coast line, it curiously enough brought the blue waters of 
the sea apparently in a line with the tops of the trees, thus 
leading one almost to believe the intermediate space was 
some vast hollow inside of an immense embankment. 

The range of mountains upon which we now were are 
known as the Sierra, and run parallel with the coast, being 
of limestone formation, and with rather a scarcity of water, 
offering no attraction to the miner. From its summit we 
now gradually descended by a rough road almost to the sea- 
shore, to the house of a countryman. We had passed 
mostly thus far a highly uneven, wooded country, fairly 
watered, until now we were on the bottom lands along the 
coast, whfere we met with plenty of natural clearings on the 
hillside or in the bottoms. Most of these were occupied 
by settlers, growing tobacco, coffee (wild), the plantain, 
and a great deal of fine cotton — fine staple and good length. 
One of these places presented quite an American appear- 
ance, the house having piazzas, and the first grape-vine- 
covered arbour I had seen on the island. The soil every- 
where was of the best black loam, unmistakable in its 
richness, and capable, as all the inhabitants told me, of 
producing everything in the shape of vegetation. 

All the people of this section devote themselves principally 
to the tobacco culture, paying no attention to cattle, 
though they own large numbers of hogs. These are allowed 
to run wild and take care of themselves, and this they have 
learned to do to such an extent, that every spot where there 
is anything planted has to be surrounded with a strong 
fence of withes to prevent their entrance. The woods are 
full of these strange-looking animals, generally tall, gaunt, 
and wiry, quite savage in their nature ; and, as they rush 
out on the traveller as he rides through the forest, might 
easily be mistaken for the peccary. The flesh of these 



374: 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



constitutes the only meat used by t^ie people of this 
section. 




"Wild Hogs. 



At our stopping-place for our mid-day meal, I was com- 
pelled to fall back upon my own resources, as the guide knew 
nothing of cooking any of the stores I had for that purpose ; 
and the bright-eyed hostess of the house where we stopped 
having apologised for having nothing to offer, and her 
culinary experience being confined to boiling or roasting a 
banana, or frying a piece of pork, looked with interest and 
astonishment at my successful operations for a meal, until, 



IMMENSE GROWTH OF TIMBER. 375 

overcome by her curiosity, she exclaimed, '^ Dios, seSor 
(Lord, sir), but you are a good cook ! " 

The sun was well above the meridian when we started for 
our night's destination — La Laguna, a settlement just the 
other side of the old site and Bay of Isabella, famous as 
the first place settled on the island by Columbus. Our 
road still lay in the bottom lands of the woods, the main 
road now and then being crossed by wide open swathes in 
the underbush running down to the seaside, used for roads 
by the mahogany-cutters in hauling down the huge logs of 
that wood, fustic, and other valuable woods, with which all 
this tract of country we passed through abounded. Many ol 
these pieces of wood we saw left half buried in the mud, some 
of the heavy rains having made the paths so muddy that it 
had been impossible to get the logs to the coast for trans- 
portation and shipment. All of this cutting is done with 
the rudest of implements, no saw whatever being used, and 
the pieces being simply hewn into rough logs of a size 
suitable for transportation. 

This shipping of mahogany is quite a business with the 
coast people, as they haul or float these logs down to some 
convenient bay or inlet, where small vessels or lighters 
convey them to the larger ports for shipment abroad; and 
in some cases, where the size of the bay permits it, the 
large vessels themselves come up and load directly at the 
port. All of this soil of the bottom lands appears to be of 
the richest kind, resembling much the bottom lands of the 
Lower Mississippi, and equally favourable, I should say, 
for the cultivation of the cotton crop. 

Timber of every kind was met with in this region, some 
of which was of immense growth. One tree that we saw, 
called by the natives '^ Higo," had projecting from its 
trunk, higher than a man could reach, some twelve huge 
buttresses, and such was the spread of these, that a good 
sized tree was growing from between two of them. 

The parasites '' Haguey " and '' Cupey " we met with in 



376 



SANTO DOMINGO. 




Parasitical Vines. 



great number, both 
in the form of the 
newly - grown vine 
and the more ma- 
tured tree, while the 
palm of every species 
was seen at every 
step. A new fra- 
grance saluted my 
nostrils in the most 
delicious of odours 
arising from the 
millions of a small 
flower growing on 
a bush, and called 
by the natives 
*' Aroma," resemb- 
ling much in its 
odour our lilac, 
though the aroma is 
more delicate, the 
flower being of a 
small yellowish red 
colour. A pretty 
star -shaped flower 
that grew in pro- 
fusion also attracted 
my attention, the 
guide calling it 
'^ Dona Anna." Late 
in the afternoon, as 
we were within a 
short distance of the 
old settlement of 
Isabella, I was 
tempted by its 



THE TARANTULA. 377 

liistoric associations to turn aside from the road and see 
wliat remained of it. There was absolutely nothing to 
repay me for my trouble, the place possessing no natural 
beauty, and the few ruins remaining having no particular 
form or meaning, being mostly covered with running vines 
and thick vegetation. With much difficulty can be made 
out where has run originally a small village street. Still it 
was something to see a place that was the first settlement 
of Europeans on the American continent, a place hallowed 
by the memories of association that Columbus' actual 
presence gave to it, and the few stones lying in mixed 
heaps perhaps having been parts of walls holding up the 
roof under which he himself may have sat. 

In such places the tarantula frequently makes its home ; 
and here for the first and only time I saw one of those 
horrible-looking spiders, whose numbers and bite have 
been so much overrated ; for I was told, and found it to be 
the case, they are not often met with; and if they do occa- 
sionally succeed in stinging some careless person, their bite 
is only painful, and never dangerous. 

The place to-day is as it was when its settlement took 
place, remarkable for its unheal thiness, a great deal 
of the '^calentura" 
or fever of the 
country prevailing 
there, which, from 
its situation, I 
should judge could 
not be otherwise, 
as it is upon the 
side of a small 
river emptying into 
a small bay, the shores of which are low and somewhat 
marshy. 

Night overtook us before we came to the settlement (a 
very scattered one) of Laguna, and I had the misfortune 




Tarantula. 



378 SAX TO D03IIXG0. 

to find also that the phinter at whose house I had expected 
to stay was absent with all his family, and, at the sugges- 
tion of the guide, we pushed on a mile or two farther to 
the house of another planter, making our way through 
dusky ravines and thick-foliaged covered paths, fording 
also two or three streams, until, tired and sleepy, we 
were gladdened by the sight of lights in the house of our 
destination. 

This I found to be a large wooden house, set back 
from the road in a large savanna, around which was the 
usual fence of the country, with — remarkable to me, as 
I had not seen one before in all my travels — a large 
double English gate, that opened and shut in the good 
old-fashioned way, instead of necessitating our taking 
down about twenty poles to get into the enclosiue. 
The occtipant of the house was a South Carolina mulatto, 
who had long lived out here, and was now engaged 
in trading with the country people for mahogany and 
other woods, and though he spoke very disparagingly 
of the habits of the people, he himself set no different 
example to them in his person and habits, for his estab- 
lishment offered nothing cleanly or attractive in its 
interior or exterior arrangements. His wife was swinging 
in a hammock, sick with the fever she told me, but he 
said she was only '^ playing off"; " and judging from my 
after observation of her lazy, filthy ways, I should judge 
he was right. 

What perfectly helpless, useless people these women 
are, many of them I They seem to be so utterly ignorant 
of everything a woman should know. Their housekeeping 
amounts to nothing ; their cooking, simple as are the 
viands, is vile, and they appear to do nothing but loll in 
hammocks and smoke cigars. However, I have been too 
long in Dominica to be particular : and my hammock being 
swung, I am soon in the land of dreams. 

With morning comes the announcement that one of our 



I 



IMPROMPTU COOKING. 379 

horses is knocked up, and I must hire another one, which 
has to be sent for to some distance ; so, availing myself of 
the time, I proceed to the river (Isabella) bank, and have 
a most delicious bath in its clear, swift-running waters, 
finishing which, I become interested in the food question, 
as nearly twenty-four hours have elapsed without my 
eating anything. 

'' I have nothing," was the reply of my host to my 
question about food, ^'except plantains and slapjacks to 
give you." Now slapjacks are very well in the abstract, but 
when they are offered a hungry man as the subsistence 
upon which to prosecute a long and tiresome journey, they 
are bad, in point of fact. I therefore suggested that I had 
some remaining stores that might be turned to account if 
he had wherewith to cook them. He had the means, and 
they were at my disposal to cook to suit me, and thinking 
this was the" safest way to avoid being poisoned by boiled 
lard, garlic, &c., I became immediately '' chef de cuisine." 

I think my readers would have been astonished at the way 
my material was converted into a Dominican stew ; for 
rice, sardines, pickled salmon, canned tomatoes, stale 
bread, peas, claret wine, vermicelli, pepper and salt, and 
sauces all went into the soup-kettle, with what result I 
leave them to imagine, when I say that, after disposing of 
the soup from this " olla podrida," and eating a large 
quantity of its more solid material, the balance was dis- 
posed of by every man, woman, and child on the place, who 
were called in to partake of the most luxurious feast they 
had ever seen; in fact, my guide was so overcome by his 
share in the disposition of the viands, that he informed me 
confidentially I was the best cook he had ever seen, and 
that '^American (?) cookery pleased him much." 

God help us, though ! A man, to travel in this country 
and keep his life, needs to be a little of everything, and for 
these people any good " square meal " would be as a new 
era in their lives. 
29 



380 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



The horse arrives ; he has one eye and a sore back, but 
his four legs appear good. I have no choice ;' I must reach 
Puerto Plata before next day, to meet the expected steamer, 
and I am told, with sharp riding, I can get there by mid- 
night, the distance being about forty miles. My guide 
swears it is impossible ; I cannot reach there until late 
next day ; the road is infernal, and that if I want to break 

my neck, all 
right, go on ; 
but he wishes to 
preserve his. We 
have much talk, 
and finally start 
together. I leave 
him behind on 
the road until 
my horse be- 
comes indiffer- 
ent to the spur, 
• through weak- 

ness, as I think. I try coaxing, no use ; kicking, no go. I 
lead him, he makes me pull him ; and, becoming desperate, 
I lie down and go to sleep until my guide rejoins me. I 
curse him and the horse , he laughs, and says it is an old 
trick of the horse , he is lazy, and my spur not sharp ; tells 
me to mount, and "hands me a switch, and, presto, what a 
change! I have just time to say '' Good-bj^e — to-morrow 
in Puerto Plata " — and off I start ; and sure enough I never 
laid eyes on that guide again until next day I found him, 
late in the day, inquiring for a mad American, who, he was 
afraid, had come to grief on the road. 

And yet that was one of the most enjoyable rides I had 
in St Domingo, as far as the country was concerned ; foi 
beautiful fields, deep, thick woods, good grassy slopes oi 
road, succeeded by rocky precipices and mud paths, followed 
each other in rapid succession. Now I would be galloping 




BAJABONITA RIVER. 



381 



through some magnificent sweep of tableland, over grassy 
paths that led by a tobacco, plantain, or coffee patch , now 
I would be slowly picking my way down to some rapid 
river by its stony and precipitous bank, the rapid but clear 
waters of which had to be forded, sometimes saddle-flaps 
deep; then again I pulled up at some negro ^^bohio" (hut) 
to inquire my way — one thing never ceasing, and that was 
the movement of my switch either upon the body of the 
horse or before his eyes, the effect being good in either 
case. Before striking the Puerto Plata road I counted no 
less than ten rivers or turns of rivers that I had crossed, 
the water, without exception, being sweet, clear, and cold, 
and their beds usually gravel or small stone ; the banks, 
in many cases, being exceedingly precipitous. The principal 
one of these, and that I crossed several times, was the 
Bajabonita or Isabella, whose waters, though swift, were 




On tlie Bajabonita. 

generally shallow, though, from the nature of its banks, it 



382 SANTO DOMINGO. 

will be seen, in the rainy months, it can become like most 
others, very deep. In all of this north coast tract of 
country, from its rich soil, its fine climate, abundance of 
water, and general capacity to produce every tropical plant, 
I should say it was the most desirable part of the island, 
being exposed daily to the refreshing northern trade-winds. 

Once or twice I managed to lose myself in the multipli- 
city of the woodland paths ; but I was always set right in 
the kindest manner by the simple natives, whether black 
or coloured. I must confess, however, their ideas of dis- 
tance are limited, or very hard to extract from them. For 
example : — 

'- How far is Puerto Plata from here ? " 

" Whew I " and a long whistle. 

"Is it more than a league ? " 

'^ Yes, sir." 

" More than two leagues ? " 

" Oh, yes ; more, sir ! " 

'' Carajo ! is it fiNQ^ then ? " 

'^ Well, when you have travelled five leagues you are 
pretty (cerquita) near it." 

Then I get mad, perhaps, and say, "Is it one day or two 
days' journey from here ? " 

" Oh, no, sir; only three hours' ride," which is, perhaps, 
equal to twelve miles ; but that is the way all distances are 
judged on the island, so many hours from one place to 
another. 

As night draws on, I find myself entering the main road 
running from Santiago to Puerto Plata, just below the high 
point known as Altamira (High View). The scenery is 
grand in the extreme, though wild and picturesque; great 
hills stretch away on every side, upon the tops of which are 
gathered the heavy clouds that forebode a tropical rain- 
storm, while even yet the sun is setting in magnificent 
glory. The road itself is fearful; a mere ravine of melted 
clay, with rocks of all sizes tossed about apparently in 



THE REQUEROS, 383 

volcanic confusion. Long trains of mules, laden with 
tobacco and fruit and solid bits of wood, can be seen here 
and there struggling, or falling, or picking their way down 
the road, the air made lively by the sounds of the requero 
(teamster) as he curses, directs, or implores his animals. 

Now it is a shout of ^' Bur-r-r-o " ('^ Oh, jackass! "), with 
a whack of his stick, or perhaps a scream at the top of his 
voice of " Ca-val-yo " ('^You fool of a horse!"), accom- 
panied with imprecations, as the animal, staggering under 
its heavy, awkward load, struggles from a bed of mire up 
to its very belly, or slips and falls upon some great rock ; 
the tune being entirely changed into that of a lively refrain 
by the swarthy driver as he and his mules strike some little 
bit of road barely passable and level. 

This is a ludicrous picture, looking at it in our way, to 
see these long trains of animals, many of the horses not as 
large as a good sized donkey, come struggling under their 
heavy loads through the mud, attended by a swarthy, tall, 
Indian-looking fellow, in a broad-brimmed-hat, shirt, and 
pants, and with a machete (sabre) almost as long as him- 
self strapped about his body, its curious scabbard hiero- 
glyphically marked, ending in a turn or twist similar to a 
lobster's claw ; but on these little horses, and with these 
strange men, come one of the greatest sources of the wealth 
of this island. These requeros are a special class, who 
devote themselves to the carrying trade between Puerto 
Plata and Santiago. They are a wild, rough set in their 
manners, and many of them said to be very wealthy ; but 
all living a frugal, hardy life, and, without exception, 
honest and reliable. In Puerto Plata, merchants told me 
they thought nothing of calling to any one of these men 
passing the door, and handing him a roll of money, say, 
^' Give that to So-and-so in Santiago." " Write the direc- 
tion," would be the reply, and the exact money never failed 
to be properly delivered. 

Nevertheless there is fitting occasion here for the inter- 



384 SANTO DOMINGO. 

veution of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 
for these patient beasts are most shockingly treated, beaten 
almost to death when wearied with their heavy loads, or 
haying their rude pack-saddles placed npon backs that are 
so fearfully raw, a fresh palm-leaf needs to be laid on, 
even to bear the hitching of the saddle. 

Darkness and the pouring rain overtake me together 
half way down the mountain. My guide and baggage 
are miles behind, and will not probably be up in the rain 
to-night. I, however, struggle and fall and blunder on, 
trusting to the good sense of my horse to carry me through 
the dangerous places ; but at last, after sundry mishaps, I 
follow the advice and example of the ^* requeros," who 
have halted their teams to await either moonlight or day- 
break. 

Seeing a house by the side of the road, I ride up and 
say— 

" Buenas noches " (good night). 

" Good night, senor. Dismount." 

I explain how I am fixed, and am invited to enter and 
make myself as comfortable as I can. 

The same old story — a rude house on splendid land — a 
canuco of tobacco and plantains — not a thing to eat or to 
drink, in fact, and I look around for a place to sleep. 
Around three sides of the house runs a wide bench, upon 
this, one after another, the occupants spread their beds of 
undressed hides, and in a few moments are snoring. 

I ask for a hammock, which luckily they have, and in 
which, with hat, boots; and clothing still on, I throw myself, 
covered with mud, to get a night's rest. 

Day breaks, gloomy and damp. My horse unfed, except 
from browsing on the short grass, stands, wet from head to 
foot, more dead than alive, while I, " faute de mieux,'' 
make my breakfast off an orange and a cup of coffee — all 
that my shelter affords. 

Saddling up, I am soon on the road again, and the sun 



i 



I K 




CONUCO OF PLANTAIN AND TOBACCO. 



PUERTO PLATA. 385 

comiDg out, dispels the rain and gloom. All Nature smiles 
above and around; but in my path, running water, mud, 
broken rocks, and swollen streams, make it a narrow and 
crooked one indeed ; team after team I pass, all on their 
way to Puerto Plata — horses, mules, men, and women 
covered with mud ; the men barefooted and in shirts and 
pants ; the women in a simple gown, which, rolled up 
pannier fashion on their persons, shows more of their form 
than decency requires. 

At last, from the mountain side, I get a view of Puerto 
Plata and its lovely bay far down in the plain below. 
Visions of a hotel rise up before me — dreams of a breakfast 
" a la fourchette " come quickly in my mind, to say nothing 
of anticipated delights in sporting once again " store 
clothes;" and so I whip up my now nearly dead horse, 
until, attempting to pass a dangerous-looking quagmire, 
my horse rebels — whip and spur no use. Then two little 
negroes rush out, and caution me not to go there, as I can't 
get out. They point to another place that looks even worse. 
I try it, but my horse refuses it, even under pressure of spur 
and whip. 

Now, " horse sense " is considered good the world over : 
I have a great respect for it. Therefore I dismounted, 
fixed the reins to the cantle, and leaving my horse to his 
own judgment, I whacked away at him, until, becoming 
desperate, in he plunged at the designated spot, which 
proved to be a slough of liquid mud, breast deep. With 
fearful struggles he went through to the other side, while I 
picked my way on foot through the prickly hedge, con- 
gratulating myself on not having absorbed in my trousers 
and boots quantities of Dominican mud. 

Never did town look so charming in my eyes as did 
Puerto Plata that day, and it was truly a haven of rest to 
me in the days I passed there preparing my mails for the 
steamer, after whose departure I took passage in the 
Dominican man-of-war for Monte Cristo. This man-of-war 



386 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



is simply a large fore-and-aft schooner, carrying a gang of 
thirty-five men, with one brass six-pounder gun, which the 
captain frankly told me he was afraid to fire off, fearful 
that it would " burst," or open the seams of his vessel. 
However, we had a pleasant sail up of eight hours from 
Puerto Plata to Monte Cristo, keeping only a short distance 
from the shore, and affording me an opportunity of seeing 
the character of the coast of the interior of the countrj^ 
through which I had previously passed. 




Point Isabella. 

Cape Isabella now loomed out low and sharp against 
the high wooded walls that formed its other shore. Enter- 
ing the Bay of Monte Cristo in a strong gale under foresail 
and jib, we found a United States steamer, the Yantic; and 
as soon as we anchored, Captain Carpenter was good enough 
to send a boat for me, and I was soon on board with a 
large mail-bag of letters for the officers and crew, to enjoy 
once ag-ain a Christian dinner. 



CHAPTEB XX. 



The image of the jest I '11 show 

You here at large." — Merry Wives of Windsor. 



Journey to Hayti — " Cosa Dominica " — Dauphin Bay— Poor 
Accommodations — Tropic Night at Sea — A Cuban Horror — 
Cape Haytian from the Sea — First Experiences in Hayti — 
Haytian Officials — Value of Haytian CurreJtcy — Advantage 
of being supposed a United States Commissioner. 

AN the afternoon of the 27th of March, finding there 
^ was a small schooner to sail that night for Cape 
Haytian, though nominally for Turk's Island, I engaged 
passage in her. 

Matters were all arranged, baggage fully prepared, and 
the authorities notified of our intention. I was fortunate 
in having for my compagnon de voyage a Cuban revolu- 
tionist, a colonel in the insurrectionary cavalry, who, having 
come up with me from Puerto Plata, was to accompany me 
to Hayti, and thence he was to go to Jamaica. 

Our passports and papers were pronounced all right by 
the commandant at Monte Cristo, who, with a thousand 
offers of service, and profuse promises that we could count 
upon him under any circumstances, bade us an impressive 
good-bye — this was about five o'clock in the afternoon. 

But greater enterprises have sometimes failed through 



388 SANTO DOMINGO. 

smaller means than the lack of a cart {vide the saving of 
Rome), which came very near being the cause of our plans 
failing. 

At seven o'clock, being all ready, we desired to have our 
rather extensive baggage taken in a cart down to the 
schooner's boat, some distance from the village ; but upon 
sending for the cart, were informed that no vehicles were 
allowed to go through the town from sunset in the evening 
until daybreak in the morning. 

Of course, we thought this was a mistake as far as we 
were concerned, and accordingly sent word to the com- 
mandant (the same above alluded to) that it was for us 
and our baggage that the cart was desired. 

Word came back that it was against orders, and no cart 
could be permitted to pass, contrary to these instructions, 
through the village. 

Our host, a well-known merchant, and friend of the 
commandant, went himself to explain. It was no use, he 
returned unsuccessful. 

By this time we were boiling angry. Here was a man 
who, a few hours before, had vowed he would do anything 
in the world for us, and now refused even to let us have a 
cart, and to him I had had friendly letters, and official 
letters from the authorities, too 1 

By Jove ! it was too much. And still having in my pos- 
session a document from the Governor to "all authorities," 
ordering them to assist me, I "went for" the command- 
ant, found him with a crowd in a beer-shop, and calling 
him out, asked him what this all meant. He vowed again 
he would do anything in the world for me, but this he 
couldn't do, as it would cost him his straps. 

" Do you see this paper? " I asked, flirting my order in 
his face ; " and do you not know its contents ? " 

"Oh, yes ; but I dare not give you the cart." 

" I do not ask it, sir," I said; " I demand it. And do 
you tell me that, with this order, sent by your superior, 



DOMINICA AND HAYTI. 389 

who is directed by his superior, the President of this island, 
that you, a subordinate, refuse to obey it? " 

'' Well, sir, it would cost me my position." 

" Never mind your position. Will you obey it or not ? " 
I growled at him. 

" Well, sir, I will give you the cart, but it is I that will 
suffer. I do it on my responsibility, and I am willing to 
do anything to serve you." But here I cut him short, 
upon which he directed the ofl&cer of the guard to accom- 
pany us to the boat with the cart — " Cosa Dominica ! " 

Getting on board the vessel, we found her to be a small 
fore-and-aft schooner, manned by a captain and three men, 
all Jamaica negroes, speaking English, the cargo consisting 
of twelve oxen, which completely filled the small hold. 

The night was clear, and though the breeze had not yet 
sprung up, anchor was quickly weighed, sails set, and we 
slowly dropped out with the current from the Bay of Monte 
Cristo, the last hail being from Captain Carpenter of the 
Yantic, as we passed under her stern, wishing me a safe 
passage. 

JSTow, although no open war is declared between Dominica 
and Hayti, yet such are the relations existing between 
them, that no vessel is cleared from the ports of one to 
those of the other. Consequently, although it is perfectly 
understood by the authorities where this schooner comes 
from and goes to, her papers specify that she sails under 
the English flag for Turk's Island. 

Only a few days before, however, a young American 
merchant, having business in Hayti, had chartered a small 
boat to take him up to Cape Haytian, or the '' Cape," as 
it is called, some United States despatches being sent at 
the same time. When the boat arrived, however, at the 
Cape, the owner was taken and imprisoned for several days, 
being finally set free, and told to return to Monte Cristo, 
with the remark, that the next time he brought American 
despatches he would be hung. However, we are slowly 



390 SANTO DOMINGO. 

drifting along on the now still ocean, not a puff of air 
being felt, and so we go below in hope to nse the pigeon- 
hole of a cabin for sleeping. Yain hope ! At any time it 
is small ; but now, with the heat and the stench from twelve 
oxen coming through the partition, we are driven on deck. 

Here we tried to sleep on the narrow space by the com- 
panion-way, but our attempts were unsuccessful ; and while 
dozing I was constantly threatening to roll off into the 
sea; and notwithstanding the captain assured me that I 
would wake up before " touching water," we finally amused 
ourselves with conversation. 

Long hours my Cuban friend and I passed in talk about 
his island and its revolution, with the prospects of its con- 
tinuation and success, from which I gathered their prospects 
were never better, and, without any immediate chance of 
the revolution ending, it still was rather increasing than 
decreasing, and likely to be prolonged for years in the 
section of the island of which they are now masters. 

Seeing that I was familiar with his country, he confided 
to me many details of the revolution : but one account he 
gave me that still placid night, with the stars looking gently 
down upon the same calm waters that washed his own 
sunny isle, I shall not forget. 

The Colonel had been sent, when quite a young man^ 
first to England and then to G-ermany to be educated, 
studying in both these places, and finally in France. Pos- 
sessed of large means, he had returned to Cuba and 
entered largely into business just before the breaking out 
of the insurrection, in which he took j^art of his own free 
will, leaving his father, an old man of many years, on the 
plantation, and indifferent to the cause. 

After long, long mouths of absence of toil and fighting, 
the Colonel, it so happened, was passing in the vicinity of 
his father's house; and halting his troop at a distance, 
not wishing' to compromise his father, he himself sought 
an interview, which he succeeded in obtaining; and on 



A CUBAN HORROR. 391 

taking his departure, with a curious presentiment, he asked 
the old man's blessing. 

Joining his troop, they rode on to their camping- place, 
in which they had hardly been installed when a messenger, 
an old servant of the Colonel's, arrived to say that the 
Spaniards having shortly after followed the Colonel to his 
father's house, had accused him of holding communication 
with his son. 

The old man, while disowning any improper motives, 
acknowledged his son had been there and received his 
blessing; and the Spaniards, infuriated at this news, set 
fire to the out-buildings, and told the old man they would 
kill him. 

On receiving this news the Colonel, with his troop, rode 
as fast as their horses could carry them ; but arrived at 
the plantation too late, only to find 

" What ? " I asked, as soon as I saw the relator had 
recovered from his emotion. 

" The out-buildings burned to the ground, and in the 
hall of my father's house, the old man lying with his skull 
split open, and his grey hairs soaking up the blood!" 

Then he told me how he and his troop, having each 
taken a solemn oath, followed up that, party day after day, 
occasionally capturing a straggler, until, by a successful 
ambush, h^ succeeded in capturing the whole party, some 
fourteen in number, with their officer. 

'' What became of them? " I inquired. 

" Having hung them to as many trees, we passed our 
sabres through their bodies, and left them to serve as 
warnings." 

Tired out watching for the breezes that came not, we 
selected the softest planks on deck and turned over, rather 
than in, to sleep. 

Daybreak found us still off Manzanillo Bay, " a painted 
ship upon a painted ocean," for not a breath had we of 
wind : and this was provoking indeed, for the Cape is 



392 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



only sixty miles from Monte Cristo, and the voyage is 
usually made in a few hours, we having expected to reach 
there by daybreak; and not a mouthful of food of any kind 
was there on board that we could possibly swallow. 

As the sun rose the wind sprung up a little, and we 
slowly gained headway, drifting rather than sailing, within 
sight of another of those beautiful bays for which this 
island is famous, that of Dauphin Bay. 




Dauphin Bay. 

This, it is said, is one of the most beautiful ports in all 
St Domingo, being able to contain a great number of 
vessels, closed as in a basin — the entrance being gained 
by a canal only a quarter of a league from side to side, which, 
at the bottom, opens into two wide bays, where are several 
islets, close to which there is water enough to careen vessels ; 
these also can anchor close to land. The bottom is good 
everywhere. There is also a river emptying there, which, 
though deep, is brackish. 

This bay is on Haytian territory, having upon its shores 
a fort known as Fort Liberty, which forms a frontier post. 

About eleven o'clock the trade-winds blew fresh and 
strong, and our little boat flew over the waters like a bird, 
until the prominent hills of the Haytian shore that marked 



CAPE HAYTIAN. 



393 



the location of the Cape grew bolder and bolder, and we 
could even see the white walls of the town on the very edge 
of the sea. 

Twelve o'clock found us running close in to the shore, 
examining with eager interest the walls of the old Fort 
Picolet at the very entrance of the bay, until a short time 
after found us at anchor directly opposite the custom-house 
wharf, with mind intent on shore and breakfast. 

Alas ! vain hopes. It was the hour of siesta ; offices and 
stores were closed, and no officials were seen. 

We proposed to go ashore on our own responsibility, but 
to this the captain would not consent, as he was liable to 




Cape Haytian from the Sea. 



a fine, telling us we must wait patiently until two o'clock, 
when the officers would be on board. 

To us, with hungry stomachs, the minutes seemed like 
hours ; but at last — oh, happy sight ! — there put out from 
the captain of the port's office, a mile up the beach, the 
customs boat. Nearer, yet nearer came the boat, until, 
about opposite the custom-house, it put in there — right 
30 



394 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



under our very eyes, and this, too, after our waiting nearly 
two hours ! 

Ah ! dear reader, did you ever hear any real, right-down 
honest swearing? If not, then you should have been on 
board our schooner that moment. We had barely recovered 
our breath when the boat at last came off to us — a boat big 
enough for the cutter of a frigate, with the crew of a lame 
negro, a small boy, and a half small boy, while in the stern, 
in the shelter of a torn rag tied to a broken pole, sat two 
young, gaping fellows, with sallow complexions, who we 
were told were the officers. 

The sarcasm of my remark to them, '' That their break- 
fast must have been a good one, they were so long at it," 

I am afraid was lost upon 




The Nondescript. 

he said we must wait for his 



them, as we hurried into 
their boat to be pulled 
up to the landing of 
the afore - mentioned 
captain of the port. 
Here we were received 
by another pallid speci- 
men of humanity in 
the shape of an old, 
weazen-faced, dried-up 
official, who, with a slow 
and stooping gait, pot- 
tered around, until, reck- 
less with hunger and 
rage, we howled at him 
ro hurry up his move- 
ments, as we were nearly 
famished. I thrust my 
passport in his face; 
he asked me my name ; 
I told him to read it; 
secretary; we swore we 



EXPERIENCES IX HAYTI. 395 

wouldn't — we wanted our Consul and our breakfast: 
until, poor man ! frantic with indecision, he commenced 
writing our names down on stray scraps of paper, and then 
calling a nondescript sort of youth, who happened to be 
passing by, bade us go with him to the " General de la 
Place." 

If ever there was murder near being committed, it was 
upon that youth that morning. Up one street and down 
another in the hot sun, by piles of ruins overgrown with 
vines, through streets that looked as if there were no sound 
habitation in them, until, hot, hungry, and savage, he 
brought us back to within a square or two of whence 
we started, to the office of the government interpreter; 
where, thinking this was a ruse for fees, we vowed we 
could talk every language under the sun, and didn't want 
his services ; but the captain of the schooner it seemed 
did. 

Then that youth made a sign to follow him again, but T 
laid my hands upon him and asked him ^' Did he wish to 
live any longer? '^ He bowed a scared assent, and muttered 
something like " General de la Place; " but I made him 
understand his only hope consisted in getting us there by 
the shortest route. He ''lived the other side of the town," 
was his reply. 

Yes, I should think he did, that mahogany-coloured, 
bald-headed, spectacled, wiry old cuss, with his begilded 
old swallow-tailed uniform coat; and he might just as well 
have gone up to the top of the mountain with his office 
as far as we were concerned, for we couldn't have been 
more nearly dead than we were when we arrived there. 

He was a courtly old fellow, I will say that for him, 
this "" General de la Place; " and I was so far mollified by 
his gentlemanly manner as to address him an appeal in 
French that he would facilitate our progress as quick as 
possible, as we had not partaken of food for twenty-four 
hours. 



396 SAFTO DOMINGO. 



" Tou^ d' suite, monsieur,'''' was his reply, smilingly 
given. After a few questions and some notes by liis 
secretary, a spectacled old negro, the G-eneral bowed us 
out, our troubles being over, as we thought, until we 
heard this old hypocrite say to the guide, " Bureau of 
Police." 

Utterly overcome at this, I supported myself against 
a wall, and glaring upon the uniquely costumed guide, I 
insisted upon knowing exactly how far we had to go 
yet, and in what direction. If there was any more places 
besides the " Bureau of Police " to visit, I declined posi- 
tively to go, unless they took me as a criminal to one of 
their prisons, where, in any event, they would have to 
"feed" me; but, as a free and mighty American citizen, 
travelling in a country at peace with my own nation, I 
pro-test-ed. 

It will hardly be believed, but that youth grinned! 
Yes, I repeat it — actually grinned in my face, and muttered, 
^' Eepublique (?) d'Haiti," as he pointed to himself. By 
Jove ! I wish he had been, for I think then and there the 
glorious Republic of Haiti would have become utterly 
extinct, never more to be found upon the school-maps to 
puzzle the brain of our young (and some old) scholars as 
to whether it was a separate island or not from St 
Domingo. 

The " Bureau of Police " looked more like a horse-stable, 
with its dirty guardroom and rusty old muskets, and dirty, 
ragged negro guard. 

The " chief" and his aide, coal-black negroes clad in blue 
denims stiff with starch, received us, asked us impertinent 
questions, which I cut short by poking my passport at 
him. He laid it on the table, leaned over it, examined 
it, turned it over, and then fell to studjdng it for some 
minutes, after which he looked at me and said — 

" Your name? " 

"You liave it there before you," I replied. 



HAYTJAN PASSPORT. 397 

'' What 's your business ? " 

" To get your vise on that passport, and something to 
eat, as quick as the Lord will let us," I responded, at the 
same time informing him I was an American citizen, as 
that paper showed, and if there was any more delay I 
should place myself under the protection of my Consul, and 
let him attend to my business. 

The cbief fell to studying the paper again, but finally 
ejaculated, " Half-a-dollar," at wbich the captain of the 
vessel protested, telling me it had never been exacted 
before, but I bowever put the money down, on which the 
'' chief" handed me my document. 

This was a little too aggravating, and therefore I re- 
marked, " Eh bien, mon ami, you have read my paper, for 
which I make no charge ; but for this half-dollar, you must 
earn it by giving me your autograph, or a stamp, or a seal ; " 
to which he muttered, ^' Mais oui," '^ Mais' oui; " and having 
examined all the others, he scrawled some hieroglyphics 
over them and declared we could go. 

" Anywhere ? " I ask, " no more officials to visit ? " 

" Non, non, monsieur." 

" Le bon Dieu soit benit ! " we utter and leave. 

'' To the hotel," we savagely say to the youth with the 
" casquette de-paille." 

" It is closed, busted — there is none," is the reply ; at 
which imagine our ^' pheelings," sympathising reader! 

From the previous day up to noon of this day, not a 
mouthful of food ; from noon up to evening waiting on 
these officials, and yet no food — and now no hotel ! 

Happy thought ! To the Consul, whom luckily we find 
at home. He immediately sallies out with us to hunt up 
at a billiard-bar-room and cafe a place where we could 
be entertained (?) after a fashion — where they owned just 
one bed, and this I magnanimously gave up to my com- 
panion, as I still had my trusty hammock, which I was 
permitted to hang in an arch of the courtyard, where the 



398 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



Consul left us to " go through " that landlord's bill of fare 

from beginning to end. 

'^What will you have?" 
he asks. 

*' Everything, anything, 
beer, bread, fruit, cheese, 
bring it all at once ; 
and no Haytian before or 
since has appeared so charm- 
ing as did the attendant as 
he promptly complied with 
our command. 

Our menu for dinner was 
composed more leisurely 
and in a better frame of 
mind ; but revenge is sweet, 
and my slumbers were sound 
that night. Why? Because, 
just as I was rolling myself 
up in my bag, the landlord 
asks, ''Are you a Unitea 




Haytian Waiter. 



States Commissioner ? ' 

"Bother! No; goodnight." 

" Well, the authorities think you are, and have doubled 
the guards to-night.'' . 

"Ah! mais bon soir, voisinJ' 

" The Paris of the West Indies." Well, it may have 
been in times gone by, but to day it can hardly be 
entitled to that name, unless on account of its ruins. 
With a class of people like the old polished French 
planters of the " ancien regime," this town may have 
possibly been all that the historians say it was, for as 
far as nature is concerned the place is lovely indeed. 
The good God has done everything for it ; but now, with 
these semi-barbarians, it has been for years retrograding 
in civilisation and improvement. 



EXPENSIVE DRINK. 399 

As a panacea for the evils of my first day in Hayti, I 
awoke to find myself suddenly a millionaire. Yes, it is the 
truth ; for in one day I was transformed from " an humble 
correspondent," with a few hundreds in good solid gold, to 
be a '' commissioner " with $200,000 at my control. But 
let me explain. 

My first act on rising on this magnificent morning of 
my second day in Hayti was to adapt myself to the custom 
of the country and ask for a '^ cocktail." I got it; I 
drank it. I had no fault to find with it, for it certainly 
was well fabricated. 

" How much ? " I asked. 

" Thirty dollars, monsieur." 

I start back horror-struck. Thirty dollars for a drink ! 
I see it. I am a poor, miserable American, disowned by 
his Grovernment, in a foreign land, and these barbarians 
know it, and now they want to swindle me. But the old 
spirit of '76 comes strong upon me, and I get reckless. I 
vow I will not pay it; and drawing from my pocket a silver 
coin of the realm of America, value ten cents, I declare it 
is all the money I have. 

To my amazement the mild barkeeper says, " I haven't 
the change, sir." 

Ah ! I begin to see it ; and with a princely air I say, 
'' Oh ! keep the change," as I walk to the door in a digni- 
fied manner ; but once out, I walk, yea, I run. Where ? 
To my bankers, upon whom I have a letter of credit for a 
few hundreds. I present the letter. 

" Do you want it all now, sir ? " 

" Yes," I say, in a careless, easy manner, " if con- 
venient." (I think I see now the cause of the peculiar 
twinkle in that clerk's eye.) 

" It will take us some time, sir, to get it ready. Please 
amuse yourself for half-an-hour or so." 

So I kick my heels against a large box of American 
soap. I whistle ; the minutes go by ; I light a cigar and 



400 SANTO DOMINGO. 

stroll out to the door ; it looks like business, for niany 
carts are gathering around the square. I stroll on the 
quay, and am stopped by a dirty-looking negro with a club, 
a shirt, and a portion of pantaloons, who says, " You can't 
go there ! " 

" Who are you ? " I ask. 

" One of the guard." 

I am scared; I back out, and attempt to slip around 
the corner, where I hear shouted at me — 

" Que bagage ta ? " 

I turn, I tremble, my knees bend, for there, mounted 
before me (to be sure, the donkey is very small, even if it 
has large ears), is a mighty warrior in cocked-hat, with 
befrogged and gilded swallow-tailed coat, cotton pants 
(nigger stripe), and > though he has no shoes, he wears a 
spur : therefore I know he must be a general, for his 
sword is large. I salute with respect (I missed being a 
general once myself;, when I hear a laugh and the re- 
mark, " Don't lose time on that fellow ; he's only a guard." 
Mortified, I attempt to cross the street ; it is blocked up with 
mules and donkeys heading one way. I turn down another 
street ; it is the same. I think this a nice active place for 
business, and turn into the street leading to my bankers' ; 
it is filled with donkey-carts, drays, mules, and horses 
with panniers and carts drawn by bullocks. I think this 
must be an unusual day in business, perhaps a market-day. 

" What does all this mean ? " I ask of a sable cart- 
man, in my best French. 

'' Ca — 00 — dee," he replies. 

I try it again. 

" Que bagage," is the response. Now, as I haven't any 
baggage with me, I am at a loss to know what it means, 
when happily an English-speaking person steps up and 
says, " I guess you don't understand Creole, and these 
fellows don't speak French." I ask him then what all 
this means. He replies, "It is the United States Com- 



HAYTIAN FAPER MO FEY. 401 

missioner drawing a draft in Haytian money, and these 
carts are to load up with it." 

^' Why, that is funny," I replied ; '^ I thought I was 
the only strange American here, and the Commissioners 
had all gone home." 

'' No ; this one got in last night from Monte Cristo." 

" Oh, dear ! " I began to feel so queer that I just had 
strength enough to fall in at the door of a cafe, and say 
^' Beer ! " (You know everybody drinks ale here, or, as it 
is called, ^^ beer.") 

Thus strengthened and encouraged, I sought my 
bankers, and asked, as well as the crowd will permit, " Is 
that ready?" They call me into the private office, and 
ask, '' Now, what are you going to do with all this money? 
Where are you going to put it ? Because we have a large 
warehouse here, and will store it cheap for you." 

" Oh, oh ! " I begin to think my mind is going, but 
yet gasp out, " What does all this mean? " 

" Why, don't you see? You present your draft, and say 
you want the money. Now, the only money they have 
here is the paper money of the country ; it is to-day worth 
|400 in paper for $1 in gold, and if you draw your 
$200,000, it will take all these carts and mules to carry it ; 
and if you will be advised by us, you will leave your draft 
here, and draw the money as small as possible, as you want 
it ; therefore let us send these carts away while you take ' a 
beer.'" 

I took the beer. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



' ' All heroes are alike : the point 's agreed ; 
From Macedonia's madman to the Swede," 



Cape Haytian — The Paris of the West Indies — Population, 
Commerce, dr^c. — Ruins of French Civilisation — Btautiful 
Views — Fear of American Encroachments — Duplicity of Offi- 
cials — Arbitrary Government — Trip to Milot — Scenes on the 
Road — Arrival at Sans Souci — St7'ange Treatment — Polite 
Officials — " Taking" the Citadel — Cristophe the Emperor — 
Horrible Cruelties — Views of the People — Return to the Cape. 

npHE town of Cape Haytian is to-day, thougli one of the 
-*- oldest towns on the island, a city of ruins. Settled 
originally by the '^ filibusters " from the Island of Tortuga, 
it would seem as though fate had decreed that it should be 
the objective point of the raids not only of foreign " fili- 
busters," but of native enemies also. 

First settled in 1*670 by the buccaneers, its history shows 
a sad record of mingled progress and ruin, of great riches 
and extreme poverty, and finally of devastation by God and 
man. 

This is the original " Gfuarico " of the Spaniards ; then 
Cape Francis of the French ; more lately Cape Henry, after 
Cristophe ; and now usually Cape Haytian, though known 
simply as ^' The Cape." 

Lying at the very foot of some noble mountains that 
stretch boldly out into the sea, and form a prominent 
landmark to the mariner, it is to-day, approaching it from 




lil 



THE rARIS OF ST DOMINGO. 403 

the sea, a lovely spot, as first seen from the deck of a 
vessel. 

A deep curve in the coast line forms a fine bay, upon 
which rests the gaily-coloured walls and roofs of the town 
in a long, narrow plain, running from the coast back to 
the verdure-clad hills, which form such a superb back- 
ground to the picture. 

Across the bay, and opposite the town, stretches away 
a vast plain, that ends only at the base of a range of 
mountains that nearly mark the boundary line between 
Dominica and Hayti, and the view in every direction is 
charming in the extreme. The town has been at one time 
an extremely well-built city, with houses entirely of stone, 
well-paved streets, large public square, and fountains and 
churches, grand and innumerable, and of the highest char- 
acter of architecture, bearing even to-day traces of having 
been the handsome place that St Mery describes so minutely 
as existing before 1789. 

Before the revolution that separated the island from 
France, this town had become the centre of commerce, and 
such was the degree of luxury and refinement to which its 
inhabitants had reached, it was everywhere spoken of as 
the Paris of St Domingo. 

Its misfortunes began in 1793, when it was burned in 
the troubles among the revolutionary chiefs ; again by the 
French fleet ; and that old Turk, Cristophe, also laid it in 
ashes. For many years it struggled along in improvements, 
and many handsome houses and buildings were rebuilt, 
until in 1842 the terrible earthquake that visited the island 
laid almost the entire city in ruins, burying under its walls 
thousands of persons, while whole families were swallowed 
up, and became extinct in the catastrophe. "The country 
people came in crowds into the town and gave themselves 
up to pillage, plundering the houses and the inhabitants 
without hesitation ; and when remonstrated with, they with 
imprecations remarked, "It is our time now," and their 



404 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



numbers were so great, that no general resistance could be 
made to tbeir maraudings. 

To-day the street parallel with the sea is tolerably well 
builtj mostly with large and substantial storehouse dwell- 
ings of the foreign merchants, and throughout the town sub- 
stantial stone dwellings and wooden buildings are mingled 
promiscuously with the ancient ruins. 

A more romantic place for the artist's study it would be 




Bord de Mer." 



hard to find ; and one can traverse square after square of 
crumbling ruins of stone, can walk through narrow paths 
that once have been stately streets, and see on every side 
arches, pillars, balconies, groined walls, and niches over 
which is growing and running the luxuriant vegetation of 
the tropics, while in the interior of courtyards, and what 
have once been halls and saloons, many finished in marble 
or solid stone, are growing the full-aged cocoa, banana, 
palm, and other trees, and in and about some of the 



FOREIGN POPULATION. 



405 



public squares are ruins of noble churches and convents, 
even yet beautiful and majestic in their decay. 

Of the inhabitants, the larger portion are black — -jet 
black; and then come the mulattoes of various degrees of 
colour, a few native whites, and then the foreign popula- 
tion, by which latter class is mostly transacted the com- 
merce of the place, which consists in exporting coffee and 
logwood, and the importing of provisions, dry goods, 
hardware, soaps, &c., a large portion of which come from 




A Mercantile House. 



the United States, particularly the common dry goods — 
the whole of the country people being, in fact, clad in the 
blue denim of the Amoskeag Company of New England. 

Many of these foreign merchants live in a very great 
deal of style and luxury, occupying generally the rooms 
over their warehouses, many of which, those especially in 
the upper part of the town, are very handsome, solidly- 
built establishments, showing at once what the cities of 



406 SANTO DOMINGO. 

this island would become if there were peace and a safe 
government. 

What the great bulk of the black population does for a 
livelihood I was unable to find out, for they were principally 
occupied in " loafing " while I was there, though a great 
many of the women keep small stores for the sale of fruits, 
notions, &c. 

The only active workers that I saw were those along the 
shore engaged in loading and unloading vessels, and these 
seemed to be as quick and steady in their labours as any 
one could desire ; and as they are paid promptly by the 
foreign merchants who employ them, I am led to believe 
that a good deal of the inertness of the people of this 
island is simply owing to the uncertainty of being paid. 

This seems always to be present to the mind of the 
Haytian of the lower class. I have had a fellow carrying 
my trunk on his head stop short, and turning to me, say, 
'^ You pay me ? You sure you pay me ? " 

Again I have seen them, when I asked a service of them, 
shake their heads dubiously. 

'' Why, I will pay you for it," I would say. 

^' Will you, then? Well, pay me now, and I '11 do it." 
And doing this, I had no reason to complain. ^ 

But, from tradition and experience, these poor ignorant 
people seem to have a bad opinion of the white man, to 
whom they still apply in a general sense the term mechant 
(wicked). 

As a type of the way in which they work at their ease, I 
was struck with the process of building a house two stories 
in height. Part of the second story being already built, one 
of the workmen seated himself in the scafi'old of the upper 
window, and received the bricks thrown to him one by one by 
the man below, still another one being ready to take them 
from the hands of the first and lay them down for him. It 
would be a nice calculation to know how long it would take, 
at this rate, to build a three-story brick-house. 



OLD FRENCH PLACE. 



407 



The town is an extremely interesting one to the casual 
traveller fond of historical researches, and the natural 
beauties of the surrounding country are so great, that many 
beautiful rides can be taken on horseback in the vicinity. 

One of these, to a place called March egal, is particularly 
interesting, affording an opportunity of seeing a large por- 
tion of the town itself; and then, mounting up by a lovely 
road on the mountain in rear of the town, affording a superb 
view of the plain, and the town with its bay, the plain 




Old French Place. 

beyond, and the mountain range still further off, upon one 
of the peaks of which can be distinctly seen the celebrated 
Citadel of Cristophe. 

From this old place of Marchegal can be obtained some 
idea of what this country was in its civilised days; for here 
may yet be seen stone terraces, stone walls of solid archi- 
tecture, drains of mason-work, stone baths, and remains of 
beautiful gardens and improved agriculture; all, alas! now 
sunk in ruins. 

A few days' sojourn will exhaust the attractions of the 
31 



408 SANTO DOMINGO. 

city ; but half a day's journey from the Cape, towards the 
Dominican frontier, lies, in a charming valley, the little 
village of historic fame known as Milot, celebrated as the 
residence of King Cristophe. 

If the reader has ever heard anything at all of Hayti 
or its history, he will have heard of this celebrated negro, 
and the wondrous palace of '^ Sans Souci " he built for his 
royal dwelling, while on the mountain is the equally famed 
" Citadel." 

Before visiting the island I had read of these wondrous 
places ; and in my various travels in St Domingo, whenever 
'^ The Cape " and Hayti were mentioned, these places were 
spoken of as something fabulous, that were well worthy of 
a visit. 

As no travelling is allowed in the island without passes, 
I called our Consul to my assistance, and determined to 
visit these places ; and he was kind enough to make applica- 
tion to his friend, the General of the province, Alexis Nord, 
for a permit for me to visit the Citadel and Sans Souci at 
Milot, which was apparently granted. Here it is, translated 
from the original, forcibly illustratingyr^;^ Hayti, a regular 
written document on a printed form : — 

Liberty* Equality. Fraternity. 

No. ^ Republic of Hayti, 

Cape Haytian, 31st March, 1871, 
68th year of Independence. 
Nord Alexis, General of Division, Aide-de-camp of his Excellency the Presi- 
dent of Hayti, and Commandant of the Department of the North, 

Permit to Mr Hazard, American subject, to go to Milot, accompanied by 
a guide, to attend to his business. He is recommended to the kindness of the 
authorities. Nord Alexis. 

Meanwhile some friends, hearing of my intention, decided 
to make up a party to accompany me, and invitations were 
given by them and accepted, without it being stated parti- 
cularly that I was to be of the party, which was composed 
principally of foreigners. 

■^ The italics are the author's. 



Sil 



NATIVE GUIDE. 



409 



It will hardly be believed, but when it was known that I 
was to be of the party, they all backed out, because I was 
an American and reputed Commissioner, and my company 
was not deemed safe. For such is the state of fear in which 
the country is kept, and so arbitrary are the acts of the 
Government, that foreign merchants even do not feel safe, 
and, therefore, are careful not to compromise themselves in 
any way. 

Pleasant company is always agreeable; but still I was 
determined not to lose my trip, notwithstanding the lugu- 
brious accounts given me of the danger I ran; so, casting 
about, I began negotiating for a guide and a horse. 

The first appeared in the person of '' William," a graceful 
native, accomplished in 
the languages of Eng- 
lish, Creole, and broken 
French. Hardly yet 
accustomed to the cur- 
rency of the island, I 
was somewhat taken 
aback at the sum he 
required for his services, 
12000 (£400); but with 
the aid of pencil and 
paper and a close cal- 
culation, I made out 
the net amount would 
just be ^YQ dollars of 
real money ; so he was 
at once engaged. 

All efforts proved 
fruitless to hire a horse 
for myself, though the 
guide was more fortu- 
nate ; and I was compelled eventually to accept the 
one from a friend. Then William failed me : first 




William. 



offer of 
it had 



410 SANTO DOMINGO. 

been the horse ; then he wished to indulge himself in a 
spree ; then he appeared before me in a costume that fore- 
boded rain ; until, tired of delay, I named the hour at which 
I should start with or without him; but I finally succeeded 
in getting oif, quite late one afternoon, mih. my guide, both 
mounted, and he carrying my hammock and some few 
stores. 

Out through the north-eastern gate we rode past the 
sentry — who, on my asking him a question, politely replied, 
" Give me a dollar!" — to a broad, hard road, bounded on 
one side by the savanna, while back from the other rolled 
beautiful ascending land to the very mountain, while 
all along were the usual one-storied wooden-houses — the 
land, although in such close proximity to the city, being 
generally uncultivated. 

Just outside the city gates, beside the public road, where 
thousands and thousands of people are continually passing, 
is a large potter's field, where diseased cattle are taken and 
left to die and rot, while in the same place is put the house- 
hold furniture of those who die of yellow fever. 

Passing by this lot, you see the whitening bones and 
skeletons of defunct animals, and tables and chairs, and 
even mattresses, left there intact to impregnate the air with 
the seeds of contagious disease, when a simple bonfire of the 
articles so infected would remove the revolting sight and 
prevent all danger. . But such is sanitary law in this en- 
lightened (?) Republique d'Haiti. 

" William," I discovered, had some difficulty in keeping 
up with me, so I awaited his arrival, and then discovered 
he was \qvj drank, being constantly tumbling from his 
horse. 

In explanation he endeavoured to convince me that it 
was the ^' fool of a horse," that would not keep in the 
road; but ordering him to go ahead of me and lead the 
animal, it was very quickly seen which would not keep 
straip;ht. 



SCENES ON THE ROAD. 



411 



However, we made progress, though a slow one, and for 
the first few miles I was struck with the great difference 
in population between Hayti and Dominica ; for while in 
the latter part you rarely meet any one in the road, here 
were crowds of negroes, men and women, on foot and on 
horseback, all going to or from the city with produce or 
supplies. 

The road, too, was a hard gravel-and-sand road, per- 
fectly practicable for carts and vehicles ; and three miles 
out we came to a solid stone bridge over a small stream, 




Squatters in Ruined Places. 



the parapets of which were in ruins, though the causeway 
was good. I ask, " Who built it ? " " The French," is the 
reply. They don't built bridges now-a-days. 

For some distance our road ran through rather a barren 
tract, and then turning off, we struck most beautiful prairie 
land, only cultivated here and there with the plantain 
patch, while on the sides of the road grew thick the 
logwood originally planted by the French for hedges. 



412 SANTO DOMINGO. 

Or, again, we passed fields of what looked like buslies or 
scrub timber, so thick was it, and which I found was the 
coffee, left to grow wild and be choked up with rank vege- 
tation. A sad, sad sight, too, were the ruins of gateways 
and houses with which we met at almost every step. All 
of them were of the most solid kind of masonry, the gate- 
posts in many instances being of solid stone and of carved 
work, while the houses gave signs of having been large and 
stately mansions ; but all, all were crumbling to decay. 

It required no great stretch of imagination to picture 
this section of country before the Revolution, when this 
whole plain, with its handsome houses, superb plantations, 
and well-kept hedges, presented the appearance of a vast 
and beautiful flower-garden. 

I found the country well cut up by good roads, that 
originally* appeared to have been solidly constructed with 
stone, and ditches were in many places dug on each side, 
while stone culverts and drains gave evidence that at one 
time civilisation had had some share in the improvement 
of the country. 

I was particularly interested in seeing this ; for often I 
had thought it would be impossible to make roads or keep 
them in order in such a country as Dominica, and here I 
had new evidence that it was not only possible, but easy to 
make and drain good roads. 

Constantly before us in the turns of the road we saw the 
blue hills of our destination, seeming almost to recede as 
we advanced, conspicuous, however, on one of which were 
the sheer walls of the Citadel. 

Night was closing in on us as we struck a more fertile 
countr}^, where the cane was cultivated in large fields, and 
where occasional groves of coffee were met with in uncared- 
for luxuriance. More than this, too, we passed for miles 
through groves of the guava, whose yellow fruit, just ripen- 
ing, filled the evening air with the most fragrant, delicious, 
almost suffocating perfume. 



TILLAGE OF MILOT. 413 

Xow, in almost every direction, we saw the glow of fires 
in the different fields ; and it needed not to ask the cause of 
this, for the night air was heavy with the odorous fumes of 
the cane-juice, which they were boiling in their rude way 
to make sugar and rum. 

Then a tough bit of road, and we began our ascent by a 
rocky road on the mountain or hill that intervenes before 
reaching Milot; but directly we descended again, and there, 
calmly lying in the moonlight, was the village of Milot in 
its beautiful plain, while beyond it were the gloomy hills of 
the Sierra, as a background to the immense walls of the 
far-famed palace of Sans Souci, that even in the night were 
remarkable in the grandeur of moonlight and deep shadow. 

We asked at several houses for shelter, but there seemed 
something wrong, as no one was inclined to grant it, a pro- 
ceeding very unusual in these regions. 

Finally I ask for the Commandant, and am directed to 
the quarters on the hill. I ask for the General ; he is 
away, but his subordinate comes forward and asks what I 
want, though he seems to know already that I am an 
American. He says he has no quarters. I tell him he 
must find them. He says, " My orders don't call for that" 
(he hasn't looked at them). I tell him he had better read 
them. Says he can't, but will see the General's secretary ; 
and we start out to hunt him up, until I tell him, '' Never 
miud ; get us into any house." 

He insolently says he can if I will pay, which of course 
I tell him I expect to do. Meanwhile one woman, more 
hospitable than the rest, says I may swing my hammock 
in her house if I like, as '' she loves the Americans; they 
saved her life.'' Considerably puzzled, I dismount, and when 
our arrangements are all made, I get from her that a 
messenger came up before me to say that an American was 
coming Tip to '' take" the Citadel. I laughed heartily, until 
it was explained that they were afraid that I came to make 
plans of the fort so that we could come and take it. 



414 SANTO DOMINGO. 

I went to my bag for the night, laughing at the idea 
these people had of the Yankee nation, and was roused up 
at an early hour in the morning by my guide, who said the 
subaltern had sent word that I must get up at once, see 
the town and the palace, and go about my business, as my 
order permitted nothing else. 

Pretty mad, I sent him my compliments, requesting him 
to visit a place not in the Arctic regions, and, turning over, 
went to doze again. 

When I awoke, I found the General had returned, and 
sent me a courteous message that he was sorry he had not 
been there the previous night, as he would have furnished 
me comfortable quarters, and requesting me to call on him 
as soon as convenient. 

Breakfast over, I went up to his quarters, and found him 
to be a perfectly black, ordinary negro, but speaking pure 
French well. I showed him my order, and told him I 
wished to visit the historic Citadel. 

This he said I could not do. I quoted my order to him, 
and we had some angry words together, ending in my tell- 
ing him I should hold him responsible to his superior for 
not complying with instructions. 

Then at last it all came out — the vile duplicity of these 
people and their rulers ; for this very Alexis Nord, after 
apparently- complying with the request of the Consul, had 
sent a messenger on ahead of me to give other instructions. 

Naturally, I was pretty mad, finding, after my trouble 
and expense, the objects of my journey were only to be 
partially accomplished, and I took the liberty of telling 
" the General " some views I had about savages. I had, of 
course, no right to find fault with being kept out of any 
place, particularly a fortress, for every Government has a 
perfect right to exercise its own judgment in admitting 
strangers to such places ; and had I been the only foreigner 
to whom was refused this permission, it would still have 
been far from me to find fault. 



^ 



PALACE OF SANS SOU CI. 415 

But this was not the case, as I understood the Citadel 
had been quite frequently open to the inspection of foreign 
visitors ; but of the deception practised, and the discourtesy 
shown to the Grovernment of which I was a citizen, I think 
I had just right of complaint, though I have since learned 
that no nationality is exempt from these petty displays 
on the part of Hayti. However, I made the best of a bad 
bargain, and started with a guard to view the principal 
object of interest, the '' Palace Sans Souci," and a superb 
{)alace it must have been in its time. Imagine a long, 
narrow, lovel}' valley clothed in verdure, shut in by high 
hills, and ending at one end in a gently-rising knoll that 
blocks up the narrow ravine between two grand high 
mountains, the precipitous faces of which seem the walls 
of a natural fortress, and you have an idea of the natural 
location of the palace. 

The palace of Sans Souci was constructed by Henry 
Cristophe, the King of the North, upon the brow of the 
hill of the village of Milot, then an old sugar estate. The 
site was well chosen, because there was a superb view 
of the valley below and the hills around, while it (the 
palace) was imposing and grand. Its original plan was 
primitive, but was successively increased, and thus its 
architecture is iiTegular. There was a rez-de-chaussee or 
basement, then a second story and a belvidere, or look-out, 
from which superb views were obtained. Upon the right 
was the throne-room, and below was a circular church used 
by Cristophe and his family ; upon the left was the 
terrace of Caimito, so named from a large tree of that 
species that overshadowed it. Then some large dwellino-s 
for the officers and secretaries, while adjoining these were 
solid buildings for sheltering the many carriages and 
equipages of the King. Behind the palace were laro-e 
gardens filled with flowers, fruits, and vegetables, while 
water ran down in cascades from the neigh bourino- moun- 
tains. Ranged above the main palace were buildino-s used 



416 SANTO DOMINGO, 

as storeliouses, arsenals, barracks, &c., for the military, 
while printing-offices, the mint, and offices added to their 
extent and number. 

Most of these buildings are still standing, as well as the 
solid stone steps, the esplanade, the courtyard wall, with 
its ponderous gate-posts. Although the earthquake of 1842 
ruined them to such an extent, they have never since been 
occupied ; yet, seen as they are to-day, with their historic 
associations, their magnificent natural site, the extent and 
majesty of their architecture, the traveller is well repaid in 
making a special visit to them. 

Besides this palace of Sans Souci, Cristophe had other 
magnificent places throughout his dominions, bearing 
the various names of the "" Queen's Delight," " The 
King's Beautiful View," " The Conquest," " The Victory," 
'^ The Glory," &c. Most of these were sugar estates, 
others were cotton plantations, but all lying in this 
most fertile and beautiful plain of St Domingo and Hayti, 
known as the " Artibonite." But here at Sans Souci was 
the favourite place and residence of the tyrant King 
Cristophe ; and as long as a stone of these walls shall stand, 
so long will there be a monument to one of the greatest 
savages and murderers that has ever disgraced God's 
earth. 

The history of this man and his rule in Hayti seems 
like fabled romance, 'and is too long for me to give here, 
but a few facts may not be uninteresting. 

For fourteen years Cristophe, originally an African slave, 
ruled here at Sans Souci, where, seated on a throne placed 
under the before-mentioned caimito-tree that shaded the 
terrace, he held court. His officers and people dared not look 
upon his face, but knelt before him as slaves, and with a 
wave of his hand he consigned immediately to the dungeon 
or death any of his subjects who displeased him. 

Did he want a carriage built or an article made, he would 
have broucrht before him the artificer. 



SUICIDE OF GRISTOPHE. 417 

'' How long will it take you to make one like this ? " he 
would ask of the now trembling mechanic. 

'' Three months," perhaps would be the reply. 

^' If in two weeks it is not here before me, finished, you 
will be thrown from the precipice," was all that Cristophe 
said, and the man was taken away. It was at this palace 
that Cristophe died by his own hand. 

To show the character of the man, a short time before the 
revolution broke out against him, he had had an attack of 
paralysis, from which recovering somewhat, he had him- 
self put in a rum-and-pepper bath and rubbed by his 
attendants. This made him feel so much better that he 
ordered his people to be assembled, and then appearing 
before them on the terrace, he was so stupefied that he fell 
upon his knees in the attitude of supplication, and had to 
be carried in. 

Then came the news of the revolution against him at 
the Cape. He saw his fields of cane burned before him 
under his very eye. Then came the revolt of his favourite 
troops ; and seating himself in the gallery of his palace in a 
dressing-gown and curious hat he wore, he made pass 
before him all the troops of his guard : to each one of them 
he gave a dollar to go and fight the rebels. 

Meanwhile he was seated on the esplanade with his two 
daughters near him, when word was brought him that his 
guard too had deserted him. Rising up, he bade good-bye to 
his wife and family, and withdrawing to his chamber, blew 
his brains out with a pistol. 

The officers and people of the palace immediately sacked 
it of all its precious valuables, while his wife and daughters, 
enveloping the body of their father in a hammock, fled 
to the '' Citadel" above. 

This '' Citadel," it is probable, has had more to do with 
making Cristophe infamous (as well as famous) than any- 
thing else. It was constructed originally by the French 
upon the chain of the mountain "Bishop's Hat," a height 



418 SANTO DOMINGO. 

of several hundred yards above the level of the sea. Begun 
in 1804, it was not finished until 1820, for there was 
always being executed upon it new labour. Such was its 
height that, standing upon its walls, one gets dizzy ; and 
from thence were thrown into the valley beneath thousands 
who had incurred the enmity of the King ; so that it 
came properly by its name Grand Boucan. Such was the 
cruel treatment of the labourers employed upon it, who 
worked without pay and very little food, that 30,000 
persons are said to have perished in its construction. 

The walls of the fort are built upon the solid rock itself, 
and are from fifteen to twenty feet thick, and of great 
height, being built of masonry or solid stone. There were 
several batteries of the largest kind of ordnance placed one 
above the other. Here in this citadel were the arsenals 
and storehouses of the King ; and the accounts given of 
the quantities of provisions, of gold and silver, and 
precious things stored there, seem fabulous, were there 
not on record the names of those who became rich at its 
sacking. The commotions of nature have utterly ruined 
this once formidable place, and naught remains now but 
the ruins to show the immensity of the place and its con- 
ception, and even these are guarded with jealous care by 
the authorities from the eye of the stranger. 

Prince Saunders, the agent of Cristophe in England, 
gives the following information of these places in the time 
of his master : — " The Citadel Henry, that palladium of 
liberty, that majestic bulwark of independence, that 
monument of the greatness and of the vast combinations 
of a Henry, is built on the lofty summit of one of the 
highest mountains in the island, whence you may discover 
to the left the island of Tortuga and the reflection of its 
beautiful canal ; in front, the gentle risings, with the city 
of Cape Henry, its roadstead, and the vast expanse of 
ocean ; on the right. La Grange, Monte Cristo, the city of 
Fort Royal, Manzanillo Bay, and the surrounding hills. 



SANS SOUGI, 419 



The eye is gratified with the prospect of the beautiful plain, 
and the magnificent carpet of verdure spread before it. 

" The position, fortified by nature, and to which art has 
added all its science, with casemates and bomb-proofs, has 
secured it from being successfully besieged, while the 
mouths of the cannon overtop the elevation of the high 
ground, and command the adjacent territory, affording pro- 
tection to the whole north." 

He describes Sans Souci as a town " likely to become the 
capital of Hayti." " Ravines have been filled up, moun- 
tains levelled, and public roads laid out. This superb royal 
palace, its sumptuous apartments, all with inlaid work, 
and lined with the most beautiful and rarest tapestry, 
. . . all these combine to embellish the retreat of a hero. 
... I know it to be the intention of our King to have 
the rotunda of his palace in the Citadel paved and lined 
with quadruples ; such a novel species of apartment will 
reflect a precious drapery, and be without a parallel in the 
world." 

My visit to this wonderful place I shall never forget, 
and returning to the village, I gave orders for our start. 
Availing myself of the time, I rambled through the village, 
entering into conversation with the people, and to my 
inquiry, " Why do you dislike the Americans so much ? " 
I was invariably told that the Grovernment had informed 
them the Americans wanted to come and take their lands 
and make them slaves and work. I am very certain that 
many of these people were much enlightened before I left 
them, but they were hardly able to realise my last words, 
that we had freed our slaves, and were now educating 
them. 

Having no idea of being detained on the road by the 
slow movements of William, I determined to start back 
alone, as I was now familiar with the road, and notwith- 
standing his warnings that a present shower would end in 
a violent storm, I left him to convey to several of the 



420 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



natives some of the home truths about their condition, and 
putting spurs to my horse, I reached the Cape safely, after 

an extremely hot ride, 
much to the surprise 
and gratification of 
my friends, who I 
really believe had felt 
seriously alarmed 
about me, as it was 
currently reported I 
never would reach the 
Citadel, and, in point 
of fact, owing to the 
trickery of the Govern- 
ment, I did not. Before 
I left the Cape, I was 
known as the Ameri- 
can who had attempted 
to 'Hake "the Citadel, 
one rascal having the 
impudence to make a 
sign of throat-cutting 
in pointing me out. 
As I had the intention of going overland to Gonaives, 
the Consul had asked for a letter for me from the autho- 
rities, one of which, similar to that given me for Milot, 
was furnished by Alexis Nord, the other, purporting to be 
a recommendation to the authorities at Gonaives, was given 
into my hands sealed, and, in all probability, had my 
plans been carried out, would have been duly delivered to 
its address. 

On my return, however, I found such difficulty in getting 
horses, that I decided to avail myself of the chance to visit 
the entire north coast of Hayti in the American steamer 
Port-au-Prince, which runs regularly from New York to 
this island every month. For this reason my letter to the 




DUPLICITY OF OFFICIALS, 421 

authorities at Gronaives could be of no further use, and with 
so much talk and so much duplicity on the part of the 
officials, I confess my suspicions were aroused, and my 
curiosity excited as to the honesty of its contents. There- 
fore, after I left the island, it being still in my possession, 
I took the liberty of opening it ; and here is its literal 
translation, upon which, I think, no comment need be 
made, as it speaks for itself, simply stating, however, in 
justice to myself, that never, as far as I know, did I give 
hint or intimation to any Haytian that I had ever had 
anything to do with a United States Commission. It is 
more particularly valuable, however, as an exposition of the 
sentiments that seem to pervade the breast of every Haytian, 
no matter what his status socially, who has not been out of 
the island, that the acme of perfection has been reached by 
Hayti and its people, from which happy delusion it would 
seem almost a pity to undeceive them, were it not that the 
world generally, and they particularly, will be benefited by 
a critical examination. 

Liberty. Equality. Fraternity. 

Republic of Hayti, 

Xo. Cape Haytiax, April 2, 1871. 

68th year of Independence. 
Chavannes, General of Division of the armies of the Republic, Provisional 
Commandant of the Arrondissement. 
To the Commandant of the Arrondissement of Gonaives. 

General — Monsieur Hazard, one of the members of the American Com- 
mission sent to the eastern part of the island, has been here some days, coming 
from Monte Cristo, in order to go to Port-au-Prince, for which he is furnished 
with a permit from the Commander of the Department Xorth. 

As we ought to prove our independence, preferring rather to bury ourselves 
in our ruin than to annex our country that Ave have gained at the price of the 
blood of our forefathers, and as vje are at the level for which God has created 
us, men equal to all men in any part of the world, I have not need. General, to 
recommend for this stranger all the regards you should have for him, in order 
that, on his return to his own country, he may be able to defend us from the • 
"sauvagerie" of which very often we are accused. 

It is -with these sentiments, General, I salute you in the country {en la 
patriei. Chayanxes. 

32 



422 SANTO DOMINGO, 

Sorry am I to confess that I cannot conscientiously make 
this defence, and, in fact, I have been, like most persons 
who visit Hayti, utterly disappointed in its people and 
government ; and the candid and impartial traveller, friend 
of the black race though he be, must feel, in visiting this 
island, that its people have not yet solved the problem of 
self-government ; for though their constitution seems to be 
good enough, it is yet so unwisely administered by those 
in power, that the country has simply been, since Boyer's 
time, a country of revolutions, at the history of which it 
will be well for us to glance, in order to properly understand 
the condition of its affairs to-day. 



CHAPTEE XXII. 

"This country, which for twenty-seven years has never ceased to be in a state 
of revolution, caused by the ambition of those without occupation, who have 
seen in this way a means of making money, or of repairing their bankruptcies in 
the changing of Government officers, has need of a reform, moral and political." 

Le Contb. 



Hayti from the Departure of Boyer in 1843 to the 
Advent of Saget in 1870. 

TT would be neither interesting to the reader, nor possible 
-^ in a volume like this, to detail the acts or history of 
every individual who appears prominent in the annals of 
Hayti from 1843 to the present time. 

Eminently a country of factions and of revolutions, 
happily for the world at large, Hayti' s political status has 
in no way affected the rest of mankind. Nevertheless the 
philanthropist cannot but regret that, while the history of 
the rest of the world shows a wonderful record of progress, 
civilisation, and enlightenment in the past thirty years, 
she alone stands a warning, in her present condition, of the 
evils resulting from a lack of all these. The excuses given 
by the party that overthrew Boyer, " that he had remained 
stationary for twenty-five years, that he had not given 
education to the people, and that he had maintained the 
military system, which retarded civilisation and aided 
to violate the law," are just as applicable to-day. The 
impartial writer hardly needs to rely upon his own judg- 
ment to form an opinion of Hayti and its people, for so 



424 SAFTO DOMINGO. 

numerous and so frank have been the confessions made by 
many of these literary patriots, that it is not a very difficult 
matter to select what is really the truth, and that may be 
found embodied in the words at the head of this chapter. 
General Le Conte, who within a few months has himself 
become a martyr to this fever of revolution, and paid the 
penalty of failure, was the author of these words, and, 
perhaps, as a real Haytian, a descendant of the famous 
Dessalines, as good a judge of his people as can be found. 

Numerous causes of discontent, however, added to the 
action of Boyer in paying indemnity to a Spanish man-of- 
war, created the insurrection against him in 1843, at the 
head of which was General Herard Riviere, a mulatto, an 
ignorant soldier, and a man, it is said, without the slightest 
political knowledge or experience ; but he was supported 
by a body of young men, who believed themselves justified 
by the excuses given above in overturning one Government 
without having prepared plans for another. 

Many of these young men were well instructed ; some had 
been educated in Europe; but the largest part of them, 
and they the most noisy and demonstrative, had been 
ruined by their debaucheries. They wished, therefore, to 
rebuild their fortunes, and, with the vanity peculiar to the 
Haytian, shine in the first rank. 

Hardly, however, had Herard been installed at the head 
of the Government", when he was compelled by the con- 
dition of affairs in the Dominican part to march to the 
frontier, and while absent, revolts broke out among the 
blacks, and several candidates were proposed as President ; 
but Herard, returning at the head of his army, with the 
assistance of some friends, effected a coujj d'etat^ by which 
he was made President, and subsequently, in January 1844, 
confirmed for life. 

The pen tires in transcribing the names of the Haytian 
Presidents, they were made so fast, after the spirit of 
revolution had once begun its career, and the eye finds no 



DEMORALISATION OF HA7TI. 42o 

period of peace or tranquillity among this people on its 
page of history. 

The revolution of Herard, begun with great promises, 
soon weakened under the excess of zeal of its promoters, 
who it is said had deceived the country, and the people were 
again in revolt, wreaking their vengeance and hate on the 
innocent as well as guilty; and from that time to this, the 
spirit of revolution seems to have taken such hold, that the 
Haytian takes it in with each breath of air. For several 
years immorality and corruption joined with revolution in 
demoralising the country. Individual governments, or those 
of party, succeeded one another in shorter or longer 
intervals, according as the character of the chief was 
more or less strong and absolute; but the people have 
never had a voice in the election of their chief ruler, for 
some bold chief or some party, having the control of an 
armed force, imposed its candidate upon the people, 
who, too timid to act otherwise, accepted him, while 
hoping and waiting till some more fortunate one should 
have his turn. 

Thus (says Leconte) the laws have never been observed 
in Hayti, and their violation is the most natural thing in 
the world. The leaders demand their execution, but in 
order to facilitate their personal interests, or those of their 
favourites, devotion to the country in Hayti goes for nothing; 
it is the devotion to a leader or individual that is the act 
of virtue. 

Thus Herard, becoming unpopular, was deposed by the 
people, and fled to Jamaica, and an old negro, named 
Guerrier, was appointed his successor ; but he did not live 
long enough to have any effect, and dying in 1845, soon 
after his election, he was succeeded by Pierrot, a still 
older negro, some seventy years of age. Nothing of any im- 
portance seems to have occurred during his term, which was 
short, but a vast waste of money, induced by a system of 
rewards to military chiefs, and an army was, at great expense^ 



426 SAJS^TO DOMINGO. 

kept up, and constant incursions made upon Dominican 
territory. 

In the spring, however, of 1846, another revolution was 
inaugurated by the nomination of General Riche, a man 
sixty years of age, to the Presidency, Pierrot retiring dis- 
gusted to private life. 

Riche made some eiForts to improve the condition of 
affairs, his term being a great advance on that of his pre- 
decessors, and some attempts were made at general agri- 
culture ; but the revenues of the island were principally 
absorbed by the army, and it is said that out of five million 
dollars revenue, three millions were expended for that 
purpose. '^ 

After the fall of Boyer, some of his ministers had as- 
sisted his successors with their counsels, and the Ardouins, 
Dupuy, and others were thus found aiding Riche ; Dupuy, 
a man skilled in affairs of state, it is said, being his chief 
councillor; and although petty revolts were occurring all 
over the island, he was enabled to maintain his position 
for a short time. 

But the same causes which tended then to demoralise 
the country and unsettle its people are those that render 
it a hotbed of revolution to-day. The bankruptcy of its 
treasury, the ambition of aspiring chiefs, the hatred of dis- 
appointed ones, and the want of any regular system of 
commerce and agriculture, with the incubus of an army 
living in idleness and eating up the substance of the land, 
must have their effect. .--^ 

Riche dying in 1847, the senate and the country were 
divided as to his successor — two competitors being in the 
field, Generals Souffran and Paul ; and in order to get out 
of this difficulty. Senators Ardouin and Dupuy named 
Faustin Soulouque, and, on his being proposed by the Presi- 
dent of the Senate, B. Ardouin. he was declared chief of 
the republic. 

Soulouque had been born a slave, and was at eighteen 



GENERAL SOULOUQUE. 427 

years of age a slave of General Lamar, who took hiDi for 
his '' aide-de-camp," from which he was slowly promoted 
until he became a General. 

He was superstitious, illiterate, and a member of the 
secret order of Yaudoux. A fine-looking mulatto of about 
sixty-two years of age, though appearing much younger, 
he was excessively vain and fond of admu^ation. 

Without the slightest political experience or knowledge, 
Soulouque, believed to be a man without decision, will, or 
fixed views, was thus selected by a coterie which, having 
governed pretty much the country through his predecessors, 
expected to find in him the easy tool or lay figure with 
which to work. 

The majority of the people, astonished at first at this 
nomination, that took the country by surprise, remained 
indifi'erent, and some of the most prominent men, laying 
aside their prejudices, determined to yield the new official 
their support for the sake of the country. 

But it would appear that if Soulouque had nothing else 
to recommend him, he had at least a will of his own, with 
some administrative capacity, which quickly made him inde- 
pendent of his electors. 

On making this discovery, these men, it appears, were 
much chagrined, and endeavoured to unite all the coloured 
and mulatto influence by turning Soulouque into ridicule, 
and finally conspiring against him. 

Soulouque, however, threw himself into the arms of the 
blacks (always spoken of by the mulattoes as the ignorant 
blacks), and a terrible and bloody struggle of caste ensued, 
April 16, 1848, in which he was the victor ; but it was only 
through the interference of foreigners that more horrible 
deeds of murder and bloodshed were prevented. 

Soulouque now created an empire, as it was called, and 
in August 26, 1849, declared himself Emperor, under the 
title of Faustin the First, appointing a number of his 
followers to titles of nobility, to which has been, and 



428 SANTO DOMINGO. 

always will be, attached a certain amount of ridicule, 
though the names bestowed on some were simply those of 
the districts to which the French themselves had given 
the name of Limonade, Marmalade, &c. 

For twelve years Soulouque reigned in the most absolute 
manner, like a tyrant it is said; but it is also related of 
him that, though without instruction, he was sincere and 
honest. At all events, adopting the motto, '^ I am the state; 
my will is the law," he made himself felt throughout 
the country as its ruler, and thus prevented any attempt at 
conspiracies against him. 

Ambitious to bring the whole island under his rule, he 
made several attempts against the Dominicans; and a 
favourite oath of his was, that he would exterminate the 
rebels of the east as so many hogs ; but, as we have already 
seen, these attempts were unsuccessful. 

'' Let us rejoice," he said ; " we await the future, when 
a time shall come when the people will say, ' What a 
beautiful epoch was that of Soulouque ! ' " 

But even this happy (?) reign was troubled by such a 
practical matter as payment of a debt; for the French forced 
the Emperor to hypothecate one half of the customs duty 
(treaty of May 15, 1847) towards paying the debt due 
them, and of which not one single payment had been made 
from 1843 to 1846. 

ISTotwithstanding lall this regal splendour, it does not 
appear the masses of the people were either contented or 
happy, and the Haytian phrase " Yet another revolution," 
was to be illustrated by Fabre Nicholas Geffrard, one of 
Soulouque's generals, who, in 1859 at Gonaives, raised the 
banner of revolt. 

Loaded with debts occasioned by play and libertinage, it 
is said Geffrard personally carried very little weight, but 
announcing himself as the representative of a chief named 
Paul, who was much respected by the people, and who had 
already raised the banner of revolt in the west and south. 



PRESIDENT GEFFRARD. 429 

he was soon supported by large numbers of the discontented 
population ; and Faustin tbe First was compelled to leave 
tbe glories of bis new empire behind him, and take 
refuge in Jamaica, where he was soon to be followed by 
Greffrard. 

The latter, however, soon came out under his own name, 
offering the people a democratic rule, with free and liberal 
institutions, of which he declared himself the champion ; 
and no sooner did he feel assured by the strength of his 
followers, than he declared himself President of the republic, 
and the empire fell. 

Some of the portraits made of Geffrard are not very 
flattering ; he is pronounced a hypocrite, a shallow man, 
making great pretensions; as extremely dishonest and 
devoted to libertinage, keeping a number of mistresses, 
and aiding by his own example to demoralise not only 
the young men, but in seducing the youDg women from 
virtue. 

From the first his rule gave no peace or satisfaction to 
the country. An attempt made to assassinate him resulted 
in the death of his daughter ; while his entire rule was not 
free from, executions and assassinations, many women even 
suffering death. 

Born of a mulatto mother by a black father, Geffrard, 
it is said, availed himself of this circumstance to ingratiate 
himself with both parties, now claiming with the blacks 
that he was of them through his father, and in the same 
manner he claimed a position with the mulattoes. 

It was during Geffrard' s rule that the Spaniards, then in 
possession of the eastern part of the island, threatened to 
bombard the town of Port-au-Prince. The Haytians, it 
appears, had committed, as was their frequent custom, some 
raids on the frontiers, carrying off horses and cattle ; .and 
the Spanish authorities immediately demanded reparation, 
which not being granted, a fleet was sent to Port-au-Prince, 
and a demand made on Geffrard for some 40,000 dollars. 



430 SANTO DOMINGO. 

as also that the Spanish flag should be saluted. Forty- 
eight hours were only allowed for a final decision. Geffrard 
protesting he would not comply with the terms, and the 
Spanish commander being equally obdurate, it was only 
through the influence of the diplomatic corps that the 
latter consented to leave the sum to be settled by arbitra- 
tion, Geffrard, under protest of force alone, consenting to 
salute the Spanish flag. 

ISTothing, however, it appears, could make Geffrard popu- 
lar, and being well aware that there must be a change, 
he wisely decided to take French leave of the country, and 
with a large amount of public funds he made his escape 
to Jamaica. 

Succeeding Geffrard came Sylvain Salnave, a plain 
honest soldier, who, supported by the army, was sustained 
by the great mass of the people, especially the blacks, who 
made him President of the republic ; but, with the best 
intentions, he appears not to have conciliated all parties — 
the aristocracy, as the mulattoes are called, being opposed 
to him. 

Duly elected by the Constituent Assembly on the 14th June 
1867, he entered at once into the discharge of his functions, 
which by the same Assembly were prescribed to terminate 
in May 1871 ; and the constitution at present in force 
was then promulgated, the customs laws passed by 
Soulouque, and slightly revised by Geffrard, being enforced 
then as they also are at present. This constitution, which 
'' the Haytian people proclaim in presence of the Supreme 
Being, in order to consecrate for ever its rights, its civil 
and political guarantees, its sovereignty, and its national 
independence," is undoubtedly a good one, and, if fully 
carried out in all details, quite sufficient to m.ake happy and 
prosperous any people living in a land so highly favoured 
by nature as Hayti. 

This constitution, amongst other articles, provides that 
'^ the Republic of Hayti is one and indivisible, essentially 



CONSTITUTION OF HAYTL 431 

free, sovereign, and independent." The territory and the 
islands that belong to it are inviolable, and cannot be 
alienated by a single treaty or convention. The territory 
is divided into departments ; each department is sub- 
divided into " arrondissements," and each one of these 
into '' communes," all of which are determined in their 
number by law. All Haytians are equal before the law. 
They are all equally entitled to civil and military offices, 
dependent on merit alone. There is no distinction of 
birth, order, class, or colour. The liberty is guaranteed 
to every citizen to go and come, remain, &c., without being 
arrested. 

Yet to-day it is a common occurrence for the military 
to take young boys and men from off their mules in the 
public streets, even though they may be household servants 
with their employers present, and pack them off to the 
army, without asking permission, or the recruits having 
any redress. '' No law shall be ex post facto in its effects." 
Yet no change in government has ever taken place that 
the upholders of the previous recognised stable authority 
have not been murdered, imprisoned, or exiled — Salnave 
as we shall presently show, being the first victim. Three 
powers form the government — the legislative, the executive, 
and the judicial ; and each power is independent of the two 
others. The legislative power is exercised by the Senate 
and the Chamber of Communes, forming together the 
National Assembly. The President of the republic is the 
executive. The Chamber of the Communes is composed 
of the direct representatives of the people, elected by the 
primary assemblies of each commune ; this chamber elects 
the senators. The President of the republic is elected 
by the National Assembly for four years, and no one can 
be re-elected but after an interval of four years. 

Notwithstanding this constitution and its rules, and a 
President who seemed desirous of conforming himself to it, 
a war-cry was soon raised, and again this island was given 



432 SAXTO DOMINGO, 

up to revolution, murder, iDillage, conflagration, a,nd blood- 
shed, when '^ blood flowed in waves, and fortunes were 
utterly swept away, whole families being compelled to flee 
to Jamaica and St Thomas, with only their jewellery to 
furnish means of subsistence." 

Salnave sustained himself with varying success against 
the revolters, who committed every crime, maiming and 
torturing their prisoners, young girls being violated, while 
women and children were ruthlessly murdered. 

In Port-au-Prince, where Salnave was finally held be- 
sieged by the " Cacos," as the new party was called, 
crowds of distressed people sought the various Consulates 
for safety ; and though Salnave proclaimed they would be 
attacked if affording this shelter, many persons were pro- 
tected, though even foreigners were not safe from the 
wrath of parties until English and American men-of-war 
sailed into the harbour and covered the town with their 
guns. 

In November 1867, Chevalier, one of Salnave's generals, 
deserted him with a large body of troops, and joined the 
rebels ; and the Cape falling into their hands, two of Salnave's 
war-steamers were captured, leaving him only one, the 
Terror^ at Port-au-Prince. 

On the 18th December, three rebel vessels entered this 
harbour at night, and, through treachery, captured her 
without a shot being fired. 

The news of this capture aroused the city, when it was 
found that G-eneral Price had landed 1500 men, and the town 
was to be attacked. Salnave, finding the town had been 
partially set on fire, retired with his friends to the grand 
palace, a handsome stone edifice, where it is said he was 
making his preparations to leave, as also to resign his 
position, when the town Was bombarded by the vessels in 
the harbour. 

One of these, the Terror^ had its guns under cliarge 
of the only practical artillerist on board, a young American 



PRESIDENT SALNAVE. 433 

named Hall, and he, under threats of taking his life, was 
forced to point a gun upon the palace, which he did with 
such precision, that a shell burst in the throne-room, the 
most magnificent in the palace, but then filled with a large 
quantity of powder, which exploding, immediately blew up 
the entire building. 

Salnave, '^ho was just mounting his horse to seek pro- 
tection at the American minister's, escaped, and took the 
road to La Coupe (Petionville), on the heights above the 
town, which latter was only saved from total destruction 
by the crews of the English men-of-war. In the ruins 
of the palace five hundred men perished. Brice being 
now in command of the town, despatched the Terror to 
bring Nissage Saget, then at Arcahaye, to the capital, 
and on his arrival ensued still further scenes of horror, 
many prominent men and officers being proscribed and 
murdered. 

The English Consul had persuaded Salnave to retire, 
and he sought shelter on the frontier, endeavouring to 
make his escape to Dominica ; but he was captured by that 
high-toned patriot Cabral, January 11, 1870, who, surren- 
dering him to Saget, received, it is said, $5000 in gold. 

Meanwhile hundreds of people had sought the protection 
of Mr Bassett, the American minister, who occupied a 
country-house some two miles out of the city ; and at one 
time there were over a thousand persons, men, women, 
and children, on his ground, being fed at his own expense, 
and though demands were made by the new authorities for 
the lives of these poor people, Mr Bassett declared, at 
immense risk to himself, that on the score of humanity his 
flag covered them all, and not a hair of their heads should 
be touched. All honour to him ! for his efforts were 
successful in saving thousands of lives, though he himself 
was shot at on the public streets. 

When Salnave was brought into town, a prisoner, and 
wounded in the left hand, he was escorted by some two 



434 SANTO DOMINGO. 

thousand soldiers to tlie court-house, and there tried by a 
military court, of which General Lorquet was president, on 
the charges of cruelty and bloodshed since the time of 
Geffrard, firing the town, and treason. 

His trial lasted three hours, and he was pronounced 
guilty, sentenced to death, and twenty minutes after 
taken to the steps of his own ruined palace, and there 
shot to death. 

On the 29th May 1870, the present incumbent, Nissage 
Saget, was named (it cannot be said elected) President for 
four years, and still remains at the head of this free and 
orderly republic of Hayti, whose citizens have reached, " at 
the price of the blood of their forefathers, that level for 
which God has created them, men equal to all men in any 
part of the world." God help the world if this were so ! 

The reader looking over this chapter will perhaps think 
I have exaggerated these events of Haytian history. I wish 
I could say I had ; but, on the contrary, I have been so 
astounded at the records written by Haytians themselves, 
that I have endeavoured to soften the details I found there, 
lest I should be accused of this. 

But is Hayti to-day any difierent, and does it promise 
any better future ? Alas ! no ; that is indeed a blank. 

What is this experiment of " self-government," so de- 
scribed by some over-zealous or badly- informed people ? 
Do they not know that at present there exists in Hayti an- 
other of those military despotisms for which the island is 
famous ; that passes are required by the country people to 
come to town ; that the only police are soldiers ; and that 
not a year goes by unaccompanied by revolution and blood- 
shed? 

Do they not know that there are no general means of 
education, or of communication, except by roads ordinarily 
fit only for animals, most of which even were originally 
made in the time of the French; that bridges going to 
decay are not repaired; that there is no general system 



INDOLENCE OF THE HAYTIANS. 435 

of agricnlture, and absolutely no mannfacturing of any 
kind; that positively there is no freedom of opinion of 
any kind, and that neither foreigner nor native dare 
express their honest views, if they are not in accord with 
the Government ? Do they know that this Grovernment 
is bankrupt, its coin depreciated to four hundred dollars of 
paper to one in silver ; while France threatens it for a 
settlement of its claims, and Prussia has been forced within 
three months past to forcibly seize Haytian war-vessels in 
settlement of her claims, only too glad, doubtless, to 
strengthen her hold upon an island whose principal trade 
she monopolises, whose merchants are principally composed 
of her citizens ? 

Do they not know that the men of the island exist upon 
the industry of the women, who are really the only 
labourers ; and that, furthermore, at least two-thirds of the 
population do not speak any language recognised by the 
civilised world ; that there is not a town on the island not 
remaining in ruins more or less caused by their revolutions ? 

Again, do they not know that, with acres and acres of 
splendid sugar-cane, there is hardly a steam-mill; that, 
with a soil especially adapted by nature for coffee-raising, 
there cannot be said to be a dozen coffee estates in the 
island, and that even the coffee, which, left thus in its 
wild state, grows in such abundance that it cannot all be 
harvested, is in the marts of commerce valued as an inferior 
article, not from any demerit of its own, but from the 
fact that the people are too lazy to clean and prepare it 
properly for market ? 

I could here quote many paragraphs from Haytian 
writers themselves showing how conscious they are of their 
own shortcomings, but space does not permit me ; yet I 
cannot refrain from quoting a few passages from the works 
of their most celebrated historian (Ardouin), who says : 
'^ In general the people of Hayti are capable of industry; 
a thousand means besides those of a^^riculture are offered 



436 SANTO DOMINGO. 

to them to arrive at a state of great prosperity, but they 
do not avail themselves of them. In the towns, where 
there is a surplus of inhabitants, there is no lack of labour, 
but few of the workmen acquit themselves well in their 
tasks. A great part remain idle, and indifferent to the 
happiness that depends upon them ; they like better to 
vegetate than live honestly by labour. The youth of the 
country give themselves up to foolishness and frivolity, 
and to that idleness which is the mother of all vice. The 
crime most frequently committed is theft, and the greatest 
number of the criminals are the young." 

'' Another consideration comes from the natural union of 
the men with the women without any tie of marriage, and 
the number of children by one father having different 
mothers, creating irregular and irresponsible families and 
ties." 

Quoting from a late article in one of their papers {La 
Gazette du Peuple, April 6, 1871), the editor says : " For 
sixty-eight years, from which dates our existence, what have 
we done ? Nothing, or almost nothing. All our constitu- 
tions are defective, all our laws are incomplete ; our cus- 
tom-houses are badly administered, our na^^ is detestable, 
our finances are rotten to the base; our police is badly 
organised, our army is in a pitiable state ; the legislative 
power is not understood, and never will be ; the primary 
elections are neglected, and our people feel not their im- 
portance ; almost all our public edifices are in ruins ; the 
public instruction is almost entirely abandoned." 

Yet, not satisfied with her own position and the regula- 
tion and improvement of her own people and affairs, Hayti 
presumes to interfere with her neighbour, Dominica, 
furnishing the disturbers of its peace with assistance, in 
order to create an impression that the people of that part 
do not want to join the American Union. 

God forbid, that the annexation of this part of the 
island should be thought of by us for one moment, even 



GOVERNMENT OF HAYTL 437 

though Dominica becomes one of our States ; for the people 
of that part, humble as they are, are years ahead of the 
mass of the Haytians, and it will take years of missionary 
enterprise and instruction to prepare them for the blessings 
of civil liberty as enjoyed by us. 

Perhaps to-day no nobler enterprise could be under- 
taken by the United States than the annexing, settling, 
and improving St Domingo, in order that, in time, the in- 
fluence of its new civilisation might, by example and its 
spreading influence, develop among its dusky neighbours 
a desire to share in the blessings and advantages which it 
is the boast of Americans that American institutions 
bring. 

It is this fear, I truly believe, with which the authori- 
ties of Hayti regard Dominican annexation to the United 
States, for they know well enough that their safety and 
control exist only so long as the masses of the people 
remain sunk in ignorance and sloth. 

It was during these negotiations Hayti became alarmed, 
as she always has done at any effort made by a foreign 
power to get control in the island; and she assists with arms, 
men, and munitions the rebel Cabral, who is so conscious 
himself of his position that he even entitles a newspaper 
(purporting to be his official organ, but which is printed 
by Haytians at Port-au-Prince) Revolutionary Bulletin; 
and Luperon, who is simply a robber chief, was maintained 
likewise ; and so patent to the whole world was this aid 
rendered by the Haytian authorities, that the records of the 
United States Consulate at Cape Haytien bear the copies 
of the protest of the energetic Consul at that place (a col- 
oured man) against this improper and illegal action towards 
the United States. 

But perhaps the best illustration of the absence of true 

wisdom and statesmanship in the government of Hayti is 

its treatment of the outside world, an example of which is 

the following, from the report of the United States Com- 

33 



438 SANTO DOMINGO. 

missioners, three gentlemen eminent for their learning, 
statesmanship, and philanthropy. 



HAYTI. 

The Commissioners, of course, felt a deep interest in the experiment of self- 
government which the blacks are trying in Hayti. They certainly wished it 
all success. 

They could not understand how any new and close relations between St 
Domingo and the United States could aflFect that experiment otherwise than 
favourably. They felt that it would be unjust to our Government to suppose 
that it contemplated any action injurious to it. They had too much faith in 
the virtue of our institutions to doubt that the form established of similar 
institutions in a neighbouring land must act favourably upon republicanism 
and progress in Hayti. The only force to be exerted would be a moral one, 
the force of example. They knew of no valid claim which Hayti had against 
St Domingo, nor of any rights or interests which could be endangered by the 
extension of our institutions over the western end of the island. Neverthe- 
less, they desired to give to the Government, and to intelligent citizens, an 
opportunity of stating their views. 

Moreover, they desired, in the most friendly spirit, to make the same obser- 
vations and study of Hayti and its inhabitants as they had made of the 
Dominican Republic. They intimated to the President and his Council their 
dispositions and desires. They stated even that they should be glad to be 
put in the way of ascertaining what were the claims of Hayti upon St Do- 
mingo, and what were the views and wishes of the Haytian people with 
respect to any changes that might be brought about in the neighbouring 
republic. But they received no encouragement to pursue their inquiries. 
They asked verbally, and through our minister in writing, for permission to 
explore the interior of the island, but this was met in a spirit equivalent to a 
refusal. 

They contented themselves, therefore, with taking such testimony, and 
gathering such information upon matters bearing upon the question of an- 
nexation, as they could without giving offence. In reviewing the whole field 
of their investigations, looking to the interests of both divisions of the island, 
they are firmly persuaded that the annexation of St Domingo to the United 
States would be hardly less beneficial to the Haytian than to the Dominican 
people. This benefit would arise first from the example which would doubt- 
less be afforded of a well-regulated, orderly, and prosperous State, the great 
need of that part of the world, and which it has as yet never seen ; a second 
and more direct benefit would arise frQm the equitable establishment of a 
boundary line between the French-speaking and the Spanish-speaking nations 
upon that island, and its guarantee by a strong power. 

This would end the exhausting border warfare which has been one of the 
greatest curses of Hayti as well as St Domingo, and would enable both to 



MI LI TART AMBITION. 439 

devote their energies thenceforward to the education of their people and the 
development of their resources. 

Kespectfully submitted, 

B. F. Wade, 
Andrew D. White, 
S. G. Howe. 
To the President of the United States. 

Naturally such a state of affairs as herein described must 
have its effect upon the character of its people, and thus 
the lower order of Haytians are utterly ignorant aod illi- 
terate. " They are improvident and thoughtless of the 
future, from a consciousness that their lands are held by 
a tenure often depending on the whim of an officer, and 
are, moreover, liable to the devastations of contending 
armies. They attend not to the increase of planting. The 
pruning-knife seldom checks the rank luxuriance of the 
coffee-tree, or the hoe extirpate the choking weeds. The 
first years of Haytian independence gave a gleam of pros- 
perity, for the country was in that secondary stage of for- 
wardness in which the French left it, and from which it 
has since gradually declined." 

Of the better class and the leaders, the following from 
a prominent Haytian, who was very frank with me, 
gives this expression of his views and experience : " The 
greatest ambition of a Haytian is military glory ; to 
become a general is the very pinnacle of his hopes, and to 
attain this, anything will be sacrificed. If the country be 
at peace, and he see no chance in this way to get in, he 
sets about getting up a revolution ; this once attained, and 
successful, the victors take the spoils, until they, in their 
turn, have to give place to other successful ones. Mean- 
while the country goes to ruin ; the blacks do not work, 
because lazy and indifferent ; the peaceable better classes 
remain as quiet as they are allowed to be, while a small 
party in power holds despotic control over the lives, hopes, 
and fortunes of the others, without doing anything to better 
either the country or its people. Consequently most of the 



440 SANTO DOMINGO. 

business of the country is done by foreign traders, who, 
under the protection afforded by tbeir flags, transact busi- 
ness, taking care, in return for the risks they run, to exact 
exorbitant profits wherever they can ; even with this they 
have their privileges restricted, and, as a general thing, the 
Government is largely in their debt." 

No wonder that Candler, the champion of the black race, 
who visited the island in 1840, and distributed books and 
tracts, was compelled, even in the then more favourable 
condition of the island, to say, " What a mournful exhibi- 
tion is thus presented to us of the morals of Hayti ! How 
earnestly must the friends of freedom and of good order 
in civil society desire amelioration in the institutions of 
the country ! " 

What would he now say ? 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



** Oh ! whence, as wafted from Elysium — whence 
These perfumes, strangers to the raptured sense ; 
These boughs of gold, and fruits of heavenly hue, 
Tinging with vermeil light the billows blue ? " 



Coasting the Island — Passengers and Tropical Mode of Travel 
— Coast Scenery — Port de Paix — Tortuga Island — St Nicholas 
Mole — Bay of Port-au-Prince — The Town — Odd Appearance 
— Lack of Hotels — Suburbs of Port-au-Priftce — Pretty Country- 
houses — Old French Places — La Coupe — Road-making — Hay- 
iian Soldiers — Feeling about An7iexation — Noble Conduct of 
he United States Minister — Aiding the Dominican Revolu- 
tionists — Visit to the Interior — Sugar Plantations — Lake 
Azuey — A Swim in lieu of a Dinner — A Long Ride in Bad 
Weather — Departure — Gonaives. 

AE" tlie morning of April 3, we went on board of the 
^ steamer, having bid good-bye to our good friends of 
the Cape, and found a large number of passengers already 
congregated on the deck, the majority of them being Hay- 
tians of various shades of colour. These people were mostly 
members of the Senate and House on their way to Port-au- 
Prince, where these bodies were just going into session. 
They seemed to be a well-behaved, polite set of people, 
several of the legislators being quite young men, while one 
of the senators was a venerable, corpulent negro. 

The Port-au-Prince was a moderate-sized steamer, with 
accommodations for a sea-voyage of only about twenty 
passengers, but she had probably twice that number now. 



442 SANTO DOMINGO. 

But as the voyage around the island is a very smooth and 
pleasant one, the Haytians lived and slept on deck under 
the awning ; in fact, I found it more agreeable myself to 
swing my hammock aft, and rest in that, than go below in 
the warm cabin. 

Rather an odd sight, though, to see passengers on a 
steamer content themselves with spreading their mattresses 
and blankets upon the deck, and thus get their night's 
rest — men, women, and children being huddled together 
promiscuously. 

The steamer is owned by a New York firm, and came 
out direct from that place to Cape Haytian, consigned to 
the American house of Murray, Price, & Co. The company 
has a subsidy of $40,000 per year from the Haytian Grovern- 
ment, which I believe remains unpaid for two years past, 
for which subsidy the steamer carries a mail once a month, 
and also, free, the members of the Government and their 
families between the capital and the Cape. 

The anchor is up, and off we go from this beautiful bay ; 
but keeping close in shore we have the oj^portunity of 
seeing the lovely scenery of the Haytian coast ; and nothing 
can be more charming than thus voyaging in these tropic 
seas amid such beautiful scenes, where, as in the present 
case, our company was pleasant, the ship agreeable, and its 
officers attentive. 

I was much interested with the talk I had with the 
Haytians about themselves and their Government, and they 
all expressed much sympathy in the rude treatment I had 
received at the hands of the authorities, the Citadel story 
seeming to be familiar to them, and of which they professed 
to speak as a great outrage. They may, or may not, have 
been sincere, but at all events they heard some candid 
opinions from me. 

These members expected a warm time in the Assembly 
with Saget, the President of the republic, as there was a 
dead lock between them on various questions, and one or 



COAST SCENERY. 443 

the other would have to yield, else there would ensue still 
another of the many revolutions which are periodical on 
this island. 

The greatest trouble affecting the present Government 
is to know how to run its finances, as the paper money 
now out has little or no value, and in fact there is nothing 
of value in the republic upon which to base credit, unless 
the customs are hypothecated. The greatest revenue is 
obtained from the export duty on coffee, which amounts 
to an enormous sum, but which kills the industry of the 
country, making the coffee so high to export to foreign 
markets that millions of pounds are left unpicked on the 
trees each year. 

This I can readily believe, for as we sailed along the 
coast we did not see any signs of a thickly-settled country 
or of a general agriculture. Only occasionally we saw 
clearings on the hill-side that marked the residence of 
some settler ; yet the country is beautiful in the extreme, 
and, as the Haytians on board told me, splendid coffee 
land. 

Now we are entering a noble canal or passage formed by 
the island of Tortuga and the mainland, and upon the 
shore of the latter is spread out before us the little town 
of Port de Paix, presenting a pleasing aspect from the sea. 
It is a small place, with tolerably well-built houses of stone, 
a large church, and a public fountain; but the site of the 
town is unhealthy from the low, marshy nature of the land 
in the vicinity ; but the country about it is said to be fertile 
in coffee, with forests of many valuable woods. 

Its historic interest is centred in the fact that Columbus 
landed here on his first voyage, naming the place Yalparayso, 
or Yalley of Delight ; it was also the dwelling-place of one 
of the ancient caciques ; and the French, being driven from 
the island of Tortuga opposite, settled here, and gave it the 
present name of Peaceful Port. 

Tortuga (or Turtle) Island, which forms the other shore 



444 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



of this cliannel, is about nine leagues long and some two 
miles in its greatest width, and is apparently uninhabited 

and uncultivated, but 
the woods upon it are 
said to be very valuable. 
This island is note= 
worthy as being the ori= 
ginal home of the famous 
^'buccaneers/' freeboot- 
ers, or filibusters of the 
i^ew World. 

Leaving Port de Paix, 
the character of the 
shore seems to change 
very much, and becomes 
more wild and barren, 
with occasional hills of 
the coffee, and late in 
the afternoon we came to 
the superb harbour and 
bay of Mole St Nico- 
las. This is the first 
place in the whole island 
whereEuropeans landed, 
Columbus entering the 
bay on the 6th of De- 
cember 1492, and nam- 
ing it St Mcolas in 
honour of the patron 
saint of that day. He 
gave it the name after- 
wards of Mole from its 
shape. 

This place, called the 
Gribraltar of the New 
World, remained almost unsettled until 1764^ but it was 




ST NICOLAS' MOLE. 



445 



successively settled by French, Germans, and English, and 
at different times immense sums of money have been spent 
on its forts and walls, which, in the numerous attacks and 
revolutions from which 
it has suffered, have be- 
come in a great degree 
ruined and dismantled 
— Cristophe having or- 
dered all the principal 
forts to be destroyed. 
The bay itself makes a 
fine picture from the 
sea, and ships of the 
largest size can ride out 
gales with perfect safety. 
The soil here is arid and 
poor, and produces in 
perfection only the grape 
and the fig. But the 
climate is said to be ex- 
tremely healthy. 

This port or bay is 
esteemed to be as valu- 
able and commanding a 
place in the west of the 
island as Samana Bay 
is on the east, com- 
manding as it does the 
channel between Hayti 
and Cuba, and probably, 
under any strong and 
stable Government, 
would become an im- 
portant and strong naval 
rendezvous in these waters. 

From this point the shores become very barren and 




446 SANTO DOMINGO. 

unattractive, were it not that nature assumes sucli strange 
shapes in the volcanic-looking rocks of the shore, or the 
terrace tablelands that look like artificial glacis. Then 
follows a forbidding-looking coast, hardly shrub or sign of 
vegetation to be seen ; but the rocks rise up in level plains 
or ledges, that assume the form which entitles them to the 
name aptly bestowed upon them, '^ The Platforms." 

Night closes on us as we enter the bay in which is 
situated Port-au-Prince, and which at daybreak all hands 
are called to see. A magnificent harbour and a queer old 
town indeed, are our first impressions, not much changed 
by farther investigations ; there also we find at anchor a 
little fleet of Haytian men-of-war. 

A lively time we had of it, as we got into the dock, with 
the chattering of these coloured people, both on board and 
ashore ; but the sight of the only wharf in the port nearly 
finished me; for, utterly broken and decayed, it was the 
only one allowed by the Government, and upon it were 
nearly naked negroes with sacks of cofi'ee on their heads, 
balancing themselves on 'the loose planks, an exploit which 
we ourselves became quite familiar with. To show how 
this Government is conducted, this wharf has been supposed 
to be under repair by a friend for some time, who took 
the contract from the Government with the understanding 
that he might import the lumber for it duty free; at the 
same time the authorities also passed an ordinance that 
no other lumber should be landed within the city limits. 
It need only be said that, since that time, if all the 
lumber had been put upon the wharf that was imported 
for it, it would be as big as a mountain. 

It had been my intention, on reaching Port-au-Prince, 
and seeing that part of the island, to have gone overland 
to Jacmel ; but the experience of what I had seen of this 
part of Hayti satisfied me that I should not be repaid for 
my trouble. 

As the steamer, owing to the intervention of the Holy 



UNITED STATES MINISTER'S HOUSE. 447 

Week, would be detained in port some ten days or two weeks, 
I was only too glad to make my arrangements to proceed 
to the United States in her. 

There being no hotel of any respectable kind in the town, 
I was glad to accept the kind offers of hospitality made to 
me by our minister and others. 

Mr Bassett, the United States minister, lives most 
delightfully, about a mile out of town, on a hill overlooking 
the town and bay, affording a superb view in every direc- 




United States Minister's House. 



tion, while the place is charming in its luxuriant vegeta- 
tion, having also a marble bath large enough for swimming, 
with water fresh and cold from the mountain stream. 

This dwelling was originally built in 1849 for one of 
the many rulers of Hayti, the Emperor Soulouque; and 
though making no pretension to elegance, is a house per- 
fectly adapted to a climate where one passes most of the 
time out of doors or on piazzas, of which this has an 



448 ^ SANTO DOMINGO. 

ample supply ; and here, amid flowers, or shaded from the 
sun by awnmgs conveniently lowered on the porticoes, one 
escapes entirely the heats and odours of the town below, 
while favoured by ever pure and fresh breezes from the 
neighbouring mountains. 

Near to Mr Bassett's are several other beautiful places, 
with terraced gardens, roomy and stone-built dwellings, 
and superb stone swimming-baths, in which the ladies of 
the families swim as well as the men. Most of these places 
were originally owned by the old French planters, and 
from them can be obtained an idea of the luxurious manner 
in which, during the palmy days of Hayti, the French 
planters lived. 

I was particularly glad to meet these places, as showing 
me what a refined, energetic, and intelligent people could 
make for themselves in the way of beautiful homes and 
plantations in the St Domingo portion of the island, under 
a strong and stable government. 

Some of m.j most delightful hours were spent enjoying 
the kind hospitality of Mr Bassett and his lady, sharing 
with them some delightful rides on horseback, both to the 
town as well as the neighbouring country. One ride of an 
evening I remember with particular pleasure, up the fine 
mountain road to La Coupe, a beautiful village at the top 
of the hill. The road all the way up was apparently dug 
out of the mountain side, solidly constructed like a turnpike, 
and afforded us most superb views of a lovely valley 
between the mountain ranges, and also of the town and 
bay of Port-au-Prince. 

This was the only real attempt at a road in the whole of 
St Domingo or Hayti that I saw; but it was enough to 
show that no great difficulty is to be encountered in open- 
ing the w^hole island to good means of communication and 
travel. 

Having arrived during Holy Week, we found business 
pretty much at a- stand still, Holy Thursday being kept as 



IlilllfHil 







VISIT TO HAYTIAN MAN-OF-WAR. 449 

a close holiday by the people and authorities. I was much 
amused, while in the cabin of our steamer, by a visit paid 
by a coloured gentleman, who said he was the officer of the 
guard at the wharf, to the captain of the ship. This official 
stated he waited on him, the captain, to tell him that he 
must not permit any one to work on that day, as it was a 
holy day, and the authorities did not allow it. The captain 
told me to say that he had permission from the authorities, 
and that, in fact, work never ceased on board ship. My 
acting as interpreter engaged me in quite a long and 
amusing theological discussion with this august official, 
the disputed points of which were finally settled by our 
" taking a drink " together, which he seemed nothing 
loth to do. 

Mr Hall, an American, who has served in our navy, 
being chief of artillery on board the Haytian man-of-war 
Terror^ I gladly accepted his invitation to go on board of her, 
and a highly interesting visit I had. She is commanded by 
a Frenchman formerly in the French merchant service, and 
has several white officers, while her engineer and crew are 
all black. I was pleased most with the beautiful order in 
which Mr Hall had his batteries, the pieces of which were 
principally 10-inch Parrott guns, with one or two 11-inch 
Dahlgrens. The vessel was quite a large one, and seemed 
in excellent order, barring the crew, who, I thought, were 
rather ragged and dirty, which can be accounted for from 
the fact that only one suit of clothes is issued to them at a 
time by the Grovernment. 

Port-au-Prince, the capital of the republic of Hayti, is 
certainly an interesting town for a few days to the 
stranger, not alone from its being the principal town in the 
Island of Hayti, and curious in its architecture and appear- 
ance, but also from its historical associations. 

The town was permanently established as far back as 
1749, the convenience of its location to all the other points in 
the island, as well as its proximity to the most fertile plain 



450 SANTO DOMINGO. 

of the island, the Cul-de-sac, being the principal reason of 
its present location. 

Different portions of it were originally built at different 
times, but, like all the other towns of importance in Hayti, 
its original character has been very much changed by the 
succession of revolutionary fires and earthquakes to which, 
since the period of its settlement, it has been subjected. 

The ground upon which it is situated has a rather abrupt 
descent from the hills around down to the edge of the sea. 
The streets, which are wide and of good width, run at right 
angles to this bay front, being crossed at regular intervals 
by others, which thus gives the town the appearance of being 
laid out with great regularity, for while on board ship in the 
harbour one can see these principal streets extending back 
up the hill some distance, except to the south, where the 
plain terminates at the foot of the range of mountains. 




A Street in Port-au-Prince. 

Directly in front of the town are several small islands, 
which tradition says gave their name to the town, from the 
fact that they were known as the Prince Islands, while far 



PORT-AU-PRINCE. 



451 



out in the bay are seen the hazy hills of the Isle of Qonave, 
which, with the point of land, Cape St "Nicolas, really 
forms the harbour of Port-an- Prince. 

This Isle of Gonave is said to be about forty miles long 
by nine wide, with valuable woods growing upon it, and a 
climate remarkably healthy, but it is to-day unsettled ; its 
ancient name, familiar to Irving' s readers, was Guanabo or 
Guanabano. 




Bay of Port-au-Prince from the House of the United States Minister. 

Port-au-Prince is reputed to be a very unhealthy place at 
times, much fever, both yellow and native, prevailing there ; 
and if the theory of the prevalence of the mangrove-trees 
be true, it is easily accounted for, the shores and islands 
being covered with these breeders of pestilence. 

Historians tell us that at one time the town possessed 
handsome, solid structures, including public buildings, 
fountains, churches, &c.; but if so, they have almost entirely 
disappeared, or left ruined walls to mark where they might 
have been, for to-day even the houses of the Assembly 
are of wood of most ordinary construction, while the 
34 



452 SANTO DOMINGO. 

President's palace itself is only mediocre as an ordinary 
building. The ruins of tlie palace of Salnave are still 
extant J and show that they may have been a very majestic 
series of buildings, quite imposing in their architecture, 
while occasional fountains, the worse for age and neglect, 
show, in different parts of the city, attempts in ancient 
days to beautify the place. 

There is yet, however, in existence an immense stone basin 
in the upper part of the city, originally built and still used 
for the purpose of bathing the horses of the town's-people, a 
degree of luxury of which no other city I know can boast. 

To-day the lower part of the city has a good many fine 
warehouses, principally those of foreign merchants, who 
live on the second floors; but the great majority of the 
houses are built of wood, in the most nondescript, irregular 
styles of architecture. The market-places are mere open 
squares, and the church, though large, has nothing remark- 
able about it ; but the streets, lined with their odd stores 
and contents, void of sidewalks, and filled constantly with 
people, present an odd and novel appearance. 

There seem to be no sanitary rules whatever, and the 
only cleansing of which I heard was that of the city streets 
by the heavy rains and showers. In fact, quite in the city, 
and upon the open square, dead animals are taken and left 
to die and rot without hindrance from any one. 

It being the Holy Week, with a great deal of show and 
ceremony going on, I had an opportunity of seeing a good 
many interesting sights, the military displays and Govern- 
ment shows being the principal ones. 

The President and his staff made a great display in their 
brilliant uniforms, the former particularly, who, though a 
man over fifty years of age, was gorgeous in diamonds, 
feathers, and gold lace. 

My admiration (?) for the soldiers was mingled with pity 
on account of the nature of their clothing, which, however 
brilliant in high-coloured braids and flannel ornament, 



NATIVE POPULATION. 453 

must be awful hot for them in this climate, consisting as it 
does of our old army clothing. The people are, I under- 
stand, a little " down " on the Americans on this subject, 
it appearing that their uniforms were a lot sold at auction 
at Baton Eouge, at one of our Government army sales, 
purchased by a government officer in ]S"ew York for about 
|6, and sold at |26 to the Haytian Government. This 
uniform is sarcastically called the Yan Bockkelen uniform 
in Port-au-Prince. 

Of course, the population are principally blacks, while 
the mulatto class constitute the principal aristocrac}^, to 
which are added the white French Creoles, as also many of 
the foreign merchants, and at a social gathering all these 
will be seen in various proportions according to circum- 
stances. 

As many of the native coloured population have been 
educated in France, there are found a good many highly- 
cultured men, extremely courteous and gentle in their 
manners ; and of some of the younger men, only a few 
removes from white, many may be said to be quite elegant 
in their dress and manners. Among the Creole population 
one meets with extremely lively and agreeable women, many 
of whom are married to foreigners. 

The old distinction of colour, however, exists even here, 
I am told ; for the mulattoes pride themselves on being a 
different people from the blacks, while the latter sneer at 
the former as being neither white nor black. 

I found a good many English-speaking people, and 
amongst them some coloured people who settled here years 
ago, established themselves in business, and are now doing 
well. I had many conversations with them, among whom 
there seems to exist a great difference of opinion about 
some things. For instance, some say annexation is the only 
salvation for the island ; others say it would not do at all ; 
and one individual, speaking of the annexation of St 
Domingo, said, " The time has not come yet for it." 



454: SANTO DOMINGO. 

^' Why not?" I asked. 

" Because the day that that takes place there won't be a 
white man left alive in the island." (? ! ! !) 

Mr Bassett, our minister, I find, has made a great many 
friends for himself by the straightforward, manly course 
he pursues, and though naturally he does not please every 
one, yet he is extremely popular with the majority. 
Certainly, if Mr Washburne received so much praise for 
his course at Paris, what ought to be said of Mr Bassett's 
course here during the Salnave troubles, when nearly 3000 
people sought the protection of our flag at his office and 
house, and where he, on the score of humanity, refused to 
allow a single person to be harmed by the excited revolu- 
tionists thirsting for their blood ? 

Standing alone at that time in his position, shot at in 
the public streets, and without the presence of a single 
American man-of-war to sustain him, he fed and cared for 
those people at his own expense, and though his course 
was sustained by the authorities at home, I am sorry to 
say the money he then spent has never yet been refunded — 
a nice encouragement for an official to assume such noble 
responsibility ! 

I picked up a great deal of curious information about the 
St Domingo business while I was in Port-au-Prince. I 
found the locality from which emanate all the proclamations 
of Cabral, and was permitted to take from the press itself, 
where it was being printed, copies of the paper, The 
Dominican Flag, or Revolutionary Bulletin, which purports 
to be printed in San Juan in Dominican territory, but 
which is made up here, as well in its accounts of imaginary 
battles and victories, as its truthful (?) sentiments of the 
'' Dominicans." 

The printer of this sheet laughingly told me he always 
took care to get his money for the printing and work; 
and that was the end of his business. I also had the 
pleasure of meeting the distinguished author of " Cabral's 



VISIT TO THE INTERIOR, 455 

Protest " to the Commissioners, who, on my quizzing him 
about it, laughingly replied, ^^,Well, Cabral signed it, even 
if I did write it." This same party confessed to me that 
though it was his business to write against annexation, 
he was perfectly aware the people of St Domingo were 
unanimous in favour of it. 

I was a little puzzled for a day or two to know how to 
get back into the country, as I was quietly informed no 
permission would be granted me, if asked for, by the autho- 
rities. As I had, however, a passport regularly vised by 
government authority, I determined to take my chances and 
"go it alone." This was more easy for me to do from the 
fact that I had a letter to an American merchant here who 
owns a large sugar estate some distance back in the 
interior, and, as he was at his place, made my arrange- 
ments to pay him a visit. 

Having found a horse to carry me and my traps, and 
having very luckily found a guide in the person of an 
engineer, who was going to the very place of my destina- 
tion to repair some of the sugar-mill machinery, I started 
out of the northern gate of Port-au-Prince for the sugar 
place of La Selle, in the grand plain, of the Cul-de-sac, 
famous in all time for its splendid agricultural qualities. 

Our road was a broad, level one, leading through an 
immense plain, the sides of which were bounded by moun- 
tains clad in verdure, and about which were heavy clouds 
rolling before us that promised rain. 

This road, like all I have thus far seen in Hayti, was a 
perfectly good one, capable of being travelled in good 
weather by vehicles of every kind, though, with the excep- 
tion of an ox-cart we occasionally met, all the travelling 
was on mule or horse back. The sides of the road were 
almost universally lined by the hedges of logwood, that had 
grown to such an extent as to be now a valuable article of 
export, while the coffee-tree was, as usual, seen here and there 
g-rowine; almost wild. The houses were of the most ordinary 

DO *• 



456 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



kind, constructed of the small 



withes or planks of the 
narrow woods of the 
country, and princi- 
pally thatched roofs. 
It being market- 
day, we found the 
road filled with the 
country people on 
the way to town^ 
some on mule- 
back, some on foot, 
but not a cart of any 
kind did we meet. 
Most of those we 
met were women, 
some with immense 
straw hats on, 
others with baskets 
on their heads, and 
yet, again, some 
with nothing but 
a ^^ piccaninny" 
stowed away on 
their backs by a 
cotton cloth wrap- 
ped about the waist. 
All of the people, 
especially the wo- 
men, were cheerful, 
and answered with 
:i smile our '^ Bon jour, ma chere," often having a reply to 
offer. In fact, throughout my visit to Hayti, I was 
satisfied that the majority of the people are quiet, docile, 
and peaceful, and that it is only owing to their chiefs and 
party leaders that the men are so brutish, in many cases 
made so by their vagabond life as soldiers. 




Countrywoman and " Piccaninny." 



SUGAR-CANE CULTIVATION, 457 

Ruined walls, houses, gateways, ay, even the remains 
of a bridge, met us at various distances out, marking the 
era of a past civilisation, which, alas ! seems now to be 
utterly extinct ; while the agriculture that had once made 
this island to blossom as a garden, with its superb coffee 
places and sugar estates, has now sunk into nothing; for 
the traveller beholds naught but the plantain patch, the 
wild coffee-field, or the small field of sugar-cane, whose 
product is principally used to make the drink, rum, or tafia, 
that has as much to do, as anything else, after the miser- 
able Government, with the degradation of the people. After 
some hours of riding we came upon a tract of country in 
which we see " sugar estates " that have more claim to the 
name, for the houses and mills are larger and more 
numerous, and the extent of cane cultivated greater; 
but even of these the product is principally rum and 
tafia. 

We found we had plenty of streams to cross, and farther 
on we discovered the rain-storm had been travelling ahead 
of us, tne roads being now heavy with mud and water, 
and as the soil is the same rich clay or loam that prevails 
in similar places in Dominica, we were not sorry, after a 
fatiguing ride of some fifteen miles, to find ourselves at our 
destination, just as night overtook us. 

My letter presented, we were soon made welcome, and 
bestowed in comfortable quarters, our host entertaining us 
with his experiences of sugar-cane growing; and as this is 
about the only regularly organised place in the island, his 
remarks will give a more than flattering idea of labour and 
agriculture on the island. 

He has under cultivation a thousand acres of cane, which is 
growing all the year round, for as fast as cut down it renews 
itself from the same stalk, no attention being paid to the 
weeding, hoeing, or care of the cane, as is done in Cuba. 

His labourers are all blacks, all living on the place or 
in the vicinity, and his contracts are made with about 



458 SANTO DOMINGO. 

thirty-five heads of families to do the necessary work, the 
average wages per hand being about twelve cents per 
day, and this he esteems expensive labour for the quality 
furnished. 

He has little or no strong control over this labour, being 
compelled to humour the hands in great degree in their 
holidays, fandangos, and church celebrations. He has 
steam-engines, distilleries, and valuable apparatus, under 
charge of a coloured engineer, to whom he pays |12 per 
month, the whole place being in charge of an administra- 
tor, who receives a salary or interest. 

Contrary to every other sugar-producing country, the 
mills stop every day ; and when I ask if this is as profitable 
as running the mills night and day during the regular 
season, the reply is, " If I attempted such a thing my plan- 
tation would be burned by the people." 

Although some |50,000 have been invested in the place, 
it yields, owing to the poor labour and the irregular system 
of agriculture, a rather slim return, and this is only in rum 
and tafia, little or no sugar being produced. Many of the 
neighbouring plantations that have no mills send their cane 
to this one to be ground. 

A schoolhouse has been established on the place, and 
maintained at private expense, it being open to all the 
children of the neighbourhood ; but such is the condition of 
the people, and the -lack of interest they take in bettering 
themselves, that not over fifteen pupils attend the school. 

In the morning early my host bade me good-bye, as he 
returned to Port-au-Prince, while I, with a guide, under- 
took a day's journey and return, to the celebrated Lake of 
Saumatre, which lies equally between Dominica and Hayti, 
some twenty miles from my stopping-place. The French 
name this lake from its bitter- tasted waters, and the 
Spaniards bestow upon it the name of Azuey, the line of 
demarcation between the two nationalities cutting it in two 
nearly equal parts lengthwise; and the waters are said to 



JOURNEY TO LAKE AZUEY. 459 

have tlie curious peoiiliarity of ebbing and flowing like the 
tides of the sea. 

However, bright and early we started on our long and 
tedious journey, my guide being a coloured man from Phil- 
adelphia, formerly a servant in a family there, but for many 
years domesticated in Hayti, and by name Jerry. 

Jerry was a bright, smart fellow, fond of study, and intelli- 
gent in the affairs and condition of the Haytians, and I was 
much the gainer in information from the day he spent with 
me ; and as he not only speaks English but Creole perfectly, 
he was of great service. 

Our road still lay through a flat and uninteresting country, 
the soil of a sort of white clay in many parts, in others of 
dark rich loam, it being all well watered and wooded, the 
agriculture being limited to the cane, plantain, and wild 
coffee. The country was only sparsely settled by negroes 
living in the rudest of huts, with no attempts at gardens or 
improvements of any kind. 

At some of the little settlements through which we rode 
we found parties of the men gathered fighting cocks, while 
at others the sound of the tum-tum or banjo gave notice of 
a fandango that was taking place. 

In another place, as we drew near the frontier, in passing 
a large house with a number of men seated or standing 
about it, we were halted and directed to dismount, upon 
doing which we found it was the headquarters of the com- 
mandant, and a guardhouse near the frontier, and thus I 
expected to have had some trouble, as being an American, 
and having no authority to travel, I was liable to be in- 
terfered with. 

I don't know how Jerry fixed it, but I do know the officer 
was very polite, inviting us to take a little tafia with him, 
and, very glad not to be stopped on my journey, I accepted 
his apologies with great pleasure. 

Another hour's ride brought us, through woods and 
bottom-lands, to our first view of the lake, but both 



460 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



our horses and ourselves being in need of rest, we stopped 
at a small canuco in searcli of food and rest. Luckily for 
me, we had taken the precaution to bring a few crackers 
with us, otherwise we should have fared badly, for not a 
thing could we buy. Eggs they had none ; fish, although 
the lake was full, they did not catch ; oranges they did 
not grow; and thus, here in a land that ought positively to 
flow with milk and honey, it is impossible to get a mouth- 
ful of any wholesome Christian food. 

I asked Jerry how these people lived, both here and on 




" Uncles and Mammies." 

the plantations, and he assured me the only food eaten 
by them — men, women, and children — was ordinarily a 
sweet potato or plantain, boiled or roasted, with a drink 
of tafia-rum, and that with this they constantly eat the 
sugar-cane. As a very great luxury they might very rarely 
eat a piece of salt mackerel or codfish, and if they 



AMERICAN NEGROES. 461 

happened to go to town, a small roll of bread would be 
purchased as a great luxury. 

At different times there have been a number of 
American negroes brought out and located on the island, 
but in most cases bad faith was kept with them. In the 
case of those who came out with Redpath, many of them 
were deceived, and forced to work two days in the week for 
Government in order to contribute to the money for their 
passage out. Some of these old people quite amused me 
with their questions about "home," and many of them 
reminded me of the "uncles" and "mammies" of the 
Southern States. 

These were a very different class from those I had met in 
Port-au-Prince, some of whom, quite intelligent people 
otherwise, carried away by their position as successful mer- 
chants, spoke rather contemptuously of their less favoured 
brethren. 

One of the most singular things I observed was that here, 
on this side the frontier, with identically the same soil and 
climate as that in Dominica, tobacco was not raised, and 
was considered a great and rare luxury, while just on the 
other side the Dominicans raised abundance. So also 
with cattle; while there there was abundance, here there 
was none to be seen, except maybe a sheep or two, or 
perhaps a goat. 

While our horses were feeding I endeavoured to get a 
siesta upon a palm-leaf mat that had been spread upon 
the ground for me. Vain hope ! for in the branches of the 
cocoanut-trees in whose shade I was lying were some bee- 
hives, their occupants buzzing about ; over and under me 
the fleas and mosquitoes fought as to which should have me in 
possession, while an occasional ray of the hot sun warmed 
me up into a state of tropical frenzy, until, desperate with 
my inflictions, I gave the order to saddle up, and Jerry and 
I were soon, after a rough ride of a mile, at the border of 
the beautiful lake of Azuey, where, in old times, sugar places 



462 SANTO DOMINGO. 

and French civilisation made this a garden, now, alas ! wild 
and uncultivated, even unmarked by such a sign as would 
show what had been, were it not for the piles of ruined wall> 
and stones that marked a garden wall. 

The lake is surrounded by steep hills, except on the 
southern side, where is a small plain, filled in days gone by 
with beautiful sugar places. 

The water is clear as crystal, and looked very tempting 
to us after our long journey and unsuccessful attempt at 
refreshments. We hitched our horses in the woods, and 
going to the only favourable spot on the shore, found a 
small party of coloured females washing clothes. 

I remarked, "^ It was a nice place to bathe." 

" Oh ! yes," they said, " very nice." 

I suggested that we had some idea of going in. 

They thought we would like it. 

I began to '^peel," apologising for disturbing them, 
which I did not succeed in doing, as they said, '^ Oh I don't 
mind us"— and Jerry laughingly exclaimed, ^'Oh! you 
needn't be so modest; they ain't afraid, if you are not." 

Ah ! cosa d' Haiti I But the water was good and invigor- 
ating, combining as it did all the elements of hot and 
cold baths — ^for there were springs of both all in a very 
small space. It may be for this reason I could not dis- 
cover any brackish taste in the water, for which the lake is 
celebrated; but at the end of the lake, where there are some 
salt mines, this peculiarity may exist in a more marked 
degree. 

The lake is a very pretty one, looking exactty like some 
of our Hudson River or Lake Oeorge scenery. It is about 
fifteen miles long and about eight miles wide in the widest 
part, being capable of steamboat navigation, it is said. 

After we came out we were pleasantly informed there 
were crocodiles there, too, and I have to thank them for 
the respect they manifested to the person of the first 
American who had ever bathed there. 



DEPARTURE. 463 



Heavy clouds warned us of an approacliing storm, which 
finally broke upon the other side of the lake, and so we 
were soon in the saddle, hoping to outride the rain, which 
we succeeded in doing for an hour or two. 

But finally it came upon us — a pouring, heavy rain, 
that came straight down, leaving no hope of keeping dry 
even with umbrella and poncho. 

But why describe that long and weary ride home — the 
mud and mire, the water above and below, the swollen 
streams, the tired horses and riders, and the long, weary 
hours before we reached our night's destination, or the 
long and uninteresting journey over the same road next 
morning to Port-au-Prince ? Suffice it to say that, with 
that last journey and the advent of the rainy season, I 
concluded that, having visited the most favoured parts, I 
had seen enough of the interior of Hayti, and glad I was 
to get back to comfortable quarters and civilised food In 
Port-au-Prince. 

Kext day, going on board the steamer that was to 
return me to the States, I found her, with a full cargo of 
coffee and logwood, ready to sail, a number of passengers 
having also engaged passage in her to New York. 

A lively time we had getting off, for among the passen- 
gers were the American Consul and his wife, who, after a 
residence of many years, were taking their departure for 
good, their leave-taking of the town and its people being 
marked by the assembling on the wharf and steamer of all 
the principal people, black, white, and coloured. 

Then there was a young belle, too, whose friends, with 
the " sympathy " peculiar to these people, gathered to 
take a last farewell ; and as most of those were handsome 
young people of the feminine order, there were some of 
us quite sorry not to have such charming friends to whom 
to say good-bye in Haytian fashion (i.e.^ kissing on both 
cheeks). 

My farewell was of a different order, however ; for as I 



464 SANTO DOMINGO. 

grasped the hand of a stalwart merchant, the last to go 

over the side, he said, " Remember me to H ; tell him 

Hayti hasn't changed for the better ; that, bad as things 
were when he was here twenty years ago, they are to-day 
ten times worse." Alas ! poor Hayti ! 

But now we are clear of the deck, tears are shed, 
handkerchiefs waved, and at last we are steaming over the 
beautiful bay to Gonaives, our last place to visit in Hayti. 
With placid sea and soft skies I find it more agreeable to 
swing my hammock on deck for the night than to go below 
in the cabin. Many of the passengers think as I do, 
and stretch themselves on deck, being protected from 
night dews by the awning ; therefore we are all ready, 
when day breaks, to get the first glimpse of the little 
town of Gonaives, which, though situated in a beautiful 
bay, offers nothing very attractive in its landscape sur- 
roundings. 

The anchor dropped, a party of us were soon ashore in 
the fresh early morning, being received at the landing by a 
German merchant, who acts as Consul for the United 
States. 

Then we saunter through the great, wide, hot streets of 
the town, that looks as if it were originally intended to be 
a place ten times its size. We went into the large church 
filled with its dusky devotees ; and while my devout com- 
panion says her morning prayers, I occupy myself in 
studying out the problem of the church architecture and 
decoration, and the authorship of some of the paintings 
upon the walls. Then a stroll through the market-place, 
with its country people dealing in small supplies ; through 
the " Place," with its one tomb or monument to a defunct 
Colonel Somebody, and we have seen the entire town of 
Gonaives, and are ready to enjoy the hospitalities of the 
tasteful and comfortable mansion of the Consul, presiding 
over which is his charming wife. 

Yet Gonaives is a place of some importance in the 



GO WAIVES. 465 



commercial world, for here are shipped large quantities of 
the coffee of the island, of which that produced about 
Gonaives is said to be the very best. Cotton, too, is 
produced, and used to be shipped in large quantities, while, 
in the palmy days of Hayti, when there was an agricultural 
system, indigo in large quantities was an important 
product. 

The town is situated on a flat, level plain, its name being 
the original Indian name, though the place was not really 
settled until about 1738. 

The place is historic, as having been the port from which 
Toussaint L'Ouverture embarked in the Heros for France, 
never more to be actively heard of in the annals of the 
country ; but here also was proclaimed the solemn Declara- 
tion of Independence that made the Haytians freemen ; 
otherwise it is one of the most uninteresting places I have 
seen. 

Again we are on board the ship, steering along the coast, 
which presents the same characteristics of rocky shore, 
verdure-clad hills, or curious tableland, forms that have 
entitled this part of the coast to the name of Platform ; 
and as the shades of night are closing in, we see behind us 
the last point, as we head directly north, of the Mole St 
Nicolas ; whereupon, with visions of the balmy days of a 
northern spring before us, we join heartily in the chorus 
ascending to those tropic skies, of — 

"A wet sheet and a flowing sea, 
And a health to the Homeward Bound I " 



CHAPTER XXIY. 



APPENDATOKY. 



" Methinks I see my country rise, 
Her regal emblem now no longer a bird of prey^ 
But spreading out ber ample wing, 
A broad impartial covering, 
The weaker sbeltered by the stronger." 



General View of St Domingo — Some Reflections on its Future — 
Views of President Grant — Climate — Insects — Seasons — Lands 
■ — Emigrants — The Population and its Character — Finances — 
Concessio7is and Grants — Hints to Emigrants or Travellers — 
Dominican Manifestoes — General Statistics — Treaty for Fixing 
the Bou?idaries — Notes on the Mineral Products of the Island. 

TF the reader has -accompanied me thus far, he will now 
-'- have a good idea of the past history of St Domingo, 
as also its present condition. 

If, in some of my descriptions of the people, I may have 
appeared more candid than perhaps good taste or cour- 
tesy would require, it has simply been that I might place 
distinctly before the world the actual condition to-day of 
this island and its people, and this with the sole view of 
benefiting them. 

No one could be more astonished than was the author 
wheu, having carefully followed all the discussions in the 



APPENDATORY. 467 

United States upon this subject, and having his mind filled 
with the denunciations of this island and its people (by- 
political leaders for political purposes), he landed upon the 
shores of St Domingo, where, instead of finding war and 
bloodshed, troops and cannon, and a people controlled by 
mere force, he found instead everywhere the utmost peace 
and quietness. 

Greater still was his astonishment when, reaching St 
DomiDgo city, the headquarters of the tyrant, the usurper, 
Baez, he found that person in peaceful occupation of the 
Presidential chair, or walking about like any other citizen, 
unattended or supported by the armed myrmidons that had 
been described as alone keeping him in place. 

In order not to fatigue the reader, I have touched in my 
journeying very lightly on the sentiment of annexation to 
the United States among the people of St Domingo ; but 
here I deem it a fitting place to testify to the almost 
universal wish of the people, high and low, to come into the 
American Union ; and this testimony may be esteemed of 
greater weight when I say, that it was elicited, not only 
from the people in many a quiet talk, in dwellings and 
stores, in towns and villages, away from any official presence 
or influence, but also in the wilds and solitudes, where I 
heard but one cry, ^^ Grive us peace and safety, and good 
roads." 

In the contest of politics against St Domingo annexa- 
tion, some of our wisest and best men seem to have been 
led astray either by false information or through ignorance 
of the actual condition of affairs in that island, and some 
phases of this contest would appear ludicrous were not the 
results so serious. 

Here, for instance, while a champion is wielding the 
weapon of defence in favour of the revolutionist Cabral, 
the latter comes forth and refuses to be defended in the 
following "official document," of which such fellows always 
seem to have a large supply, thus : — 
35 



468 APPENDATORY. 



GOD, COUNTRY. LIBERTY. 

Jose Maria Cabeal, General of Division of the National Armies, 
and Superior Chief of the Revolutionary Movement, &c. 

To the Honourable President of the Senate of the United States 
of America. 

Honourable President — The honourable Charles Sumner of 
Massachusetts, in his discourse upon the proposed annexation of the 
Island of St Domingo, pronounced in the Senate the 21st December 
1870, says, with reference to my policy, " They have assured me 
that his policy (Cabral's) is to unite the two Governments of Hayti 
and Dominica, as they were before the revolution and war that 
lasted from 1846 to 1848 (?), terminating with the insecure indepen- 
dence of the Dominican part of the island." 

The policy that the Senator Sumner attributes to me being that 
which neither my party nor I follow, I consider it my duty to 
protest, as I here do, against this part of the above discourse ; and 
in doing this, I believe I have well interpreted the wishes of my 
associates, and fulfilled one of the sacred duties that have been im- 
posed upon me as chief of a party. I have the honour, &c. 

Jose Maria Cabral. 

Netba, February 18, 1871. 

But this distinguished champion was not allowed to 
escape the wrath of the opponents of Cabral either ; for the 
Boletin Official of St Domingo says, *' Mr Sumner, the 
orator of the Senate at Washington, whose lips should 
never be opened except to utter political or social oraeles 
in accord with his great reputation, . . . wounded in his self- 
respect, &c., runs as the wounded stag, and in his flight 
fastens- deeper and deeper the dart that wounds him. The 
Commission will see that the lamentations of Mr Sumner 
are nothing but the ignorance of our history, and a means 
of discrediting the high and wise policy and the aspiration 
of an immense majority." 

But having made ourselves acquainted with the past and 
present of this beautiful land, the question naturally arises, 
what will be its future ? 

Not only are the Dominicans and the Haytians inter- 



APPENDATORY. 469 

ested in this question, but so is all tlie world, and especially 
the American people. The philanthropist, the statesman, 
the merchant, and the manufacturer, are all equally con- 
cerned in an island which, under certain circumstances, will 
conduce to advance the cause of civilisation and humanity, 
the extension of trade and the production of necessary articles. 

Though, as an American, I should be glad to see our 
institutions carried into that island, and our great privilege 
of self-government bestowed upon the people of the tropics, 
yet I should be equally glad, for the sake of the Dominicans 
and the Haytians, to see their island allied to some pro- 
gressive Government ; and Germany has already a strong 
footing on the island in the hold her merchants have 
acquired on its trade and commerce. 

That any Government would profit by this connection 
there is not the slighest reason to doubt; but to the United 
States, from their position, would accrue advantages and 
benefits that could come to no other nation ; and these were 
perhaps never more clearly and soundly expressed by any 
statesman than by General Grant in his annual message 
when recommending the measure to national legislation. 
He said: — 

" During the last session of Congress a treaty for annexation of 
the republic of St Domingo to the United States failed to receive 
the requisite two-thirds vote of the Senate. I was thoroughly con- 
vinced then that the best interests of this country, commercially and 
materially, demanded its ratification, 

" Time has only confirmed me in this view. I now firmly believe 
that the moment it is known that the United States have entirely 
abandoned the project of accepting as a part of its territory the 
Island of St Domingo, a free port will be negotiated for by European 
nations. 

" In the Bay of Samana a large commercial city will spring up, to 
which we will be tributary without receiving corresponding benefits, 
and then will be seen the foUy of our rejecting so great a prize. The 
Government of St Domingo has voluntarily sought this annexation. 
It is a weak power, numbering probably less than one hundred and 
twenty thousand souls, and yet possessing one of the richest terri- 
tories under the sun, capable of supporting a population of ten 



470 APPENDATORY. 

millions of people in luxury. Tlie people of St Domingo are not 
capable of maintaining themselves in their present condition, and 
must look for outside support. They crave the protection of our 
free institutions and our laws, our progress and civilisation. Shall 
we refuse them? The acquisition of St Domingo is desirable 
because of its geographical position. It conmiands the entrance to 
the Caribbean Sea and the Isthmus transit of commerce; it possesses 
the richest soil, best and most capacious harbours, most salubrious 
climate, and the most valuable products of the forest, mine, and soil 
of any of the West India Islands. Its possession by us will in a 
few years build up a coastwise commerce of immense magnitude, 
which will go far toward restoring to us our lost merchant marine. 
It will give to us those articles which we consume so largely and do 
not produce, thus equalising our exports and imports. In case of 
foreign war it will give us command of all the islands referred to, 
and thus prevent an enemy from ever again possessing himself of 
rendezvous upon our very coast. At present our coast trade between 
the States bordering on the Atlantic and -those bordering on the 
Gulf of Mexico is cut in two by the Bahamas and Antilles twice. 
We must, as it were, pass through foreign countries to get by sea 
from Greorgia to the west coast of Florida. St Domingo, with a 
stable Government, under which her immense resources can be 
developed, will give remunerative wages to tens of thousands of 
labourers, not now upon the island. This labour will take advan- 
tage of every available means of transportation to abandon the 
adjacent islands and seek the blessings of freedom and its sequence, 
each inhabitant receiving the reward of his own labour. Porto 
Rico and Cuba will have to abolish slavery as a measure of self- 
preservation to retain their labourers. St Domingo will become a 
large consumer of the products of Northern farms and manufactories. 
The cheap rate at which her citizens can be furnished with food, 
tools, and machinery 'will make it necessary that contiguous islands 
should have the same advantages in order to compete in the produc- 
tion of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, tropical fruits, &c. 

" This will open to us a still wider market for our products. The 
production of our own supply of these articles will cut off more than 
one hundred millions of our annual imports, besides, largely increas- 
ing our exports. 

" The acquisition of St Domingo is an adherence to the Monro 
doctrine ; it is a measure of national protection ; it is asserting our 
just claim to a controlling influence over the great commercial traffic 
soon to flow from west to east by way of the Isthmus of Darien ; it 
is to build up our merchant marine ; it is to furnish new markets 
for the products of our farms, shops, and manufactories : it is to 



APPENDATORY. ill 

make slavery insupportable in Cuba and Porto Rico at once, and 
ultimately so in Brazil ; it is to settle the unhappy condition of 
Cuba, and end an exterminating conflict; it is to furnish our citizens 
with the necessaries of everyday life at cheaper rates than ever 
before ; and it is, in fine, a rapid stride toward that greatness whicL 
the intelligence, industry, and enterprise of the citizens of the 
United States entitle this country to assume among nations. So 
convinced am I of the advantages to flow from the acquisition of St 
Domingo, and of the great disadvantages — I might almost say 
calamities — to flow from non-acquisition, that I believe the subject 
has only to be investigated to be approved." 

And it can be said that if this doctrine of Monro is to 
be maintained with any reason by the United States, it is 
hardly fair to the Dominicans to say to them, " You shall 
not come into our Union, but neither will we allow you to 
ally yourself with any one else." Other nationalities might 
naturally have something to say in this direction ; for, as 
said the London Times (Nov. 29, 1869), on receipt of the 
news of an expedition starting from the United States to 
take possession of Samana, which was looked upon by some 
as a stepping-stone to Hayti, and from Hayti to Cuba: — 
^'The commercial life that would be imparted by these move- 
ments can hardly be over-estimated; and hence, supposing 
them to be carried out with fairness to all parties concerned, 
they may be contemplated as full of promise in favour of 
an extension of British trade." 

If it be the mission of England to colonise and settle 
(see parliamentary debates on Fiji annexation) the desolate 
spots of the world, it may be claimed for the United 
States that it is hers to encourage all aspirants for civil 
liberty in any part of the 'Eqw World, and either by her 
protection or incorporation lend a helping hand to human- 
ising all young peoples irrespective of race or colour. 

One of the most curious features about St Domingo is, 
that although it is \h.Q fashion to-day to belie and be-little 
it, yet in all the authorities, from the time of its discovery 
to the present time, no matter of what nationality, there is 



472 APPENDATORY. 



hardly a writer who does not speak in the most glowing 
terms of this island, its climate, its scenery, productions, 
and the general natural intelligence of its people, and their 
gentleness and kindness of disposition under favourable 
circumstances. I am glad to bear testimony to the fact, 
from personal observation, that the masses of the people of 
St Domingo will comj)are favourably with those of G-reat 
Britain, Belgium, or France. 

Canon Kingsley has been by some deemed romantic 
because, familiar as he is with the lower classes of his own 
country, and with the masses particularly of the London 
population, who live, in many cases, utterly ignorant of 
pure air, light, and warmth, he should wish that the beau- 
tiful but unsettled solitudes of the l!Tew World might be 
peopled by some of their number. 

But the writer so far agrees with him that he wishes, in 
these days of international meetings, that some grand in- 
ternational organisation could be formed to transport those 
who have not the means themselves, to those parts of the 
western continent where a new field of health, labour, and 
riches would be open to the teeming populations of the 
old world, and no more favourable or desirable spot does 
he know than the beautiful Island of St Domingo. 

While I do not wish to inflict upon the reader a mass 
of dry statistics, which he would probably never read, it is 
due to the full un'der standing of our subject that I give 
some practical information in reference to matters that 
have been much misunderstood, most of which I extract 
from the reports of the United States Commissioners, 
verified as it has been by my own personal experience and 
consultation of every available authority. 

And, firstly, in regard to climate and health. The testi- 
mony of witnesses, the observation of the Commissioners, and 
the reports of special investigations, show that it is generally 
a healthy country. Emigrants easily become accustomed to 
the climate. On the coast, where hot weather prevails, care 



APPENDATORY. 473 

must be taken. Individuals from the ISTorthern States, 
now residing on the coast, and engaged in cultivating plan- 
tations there, say they can labour with their own hands, 
and that white men may work under certain regulations as 
safely as in the United States. As a fair illustration of 
this, it may be stated that the greater numbers of those 
persons engaged in commerce are foreigners, from France, 
from England, from Spain, but more particularly from 
G-ermany, all of whom, with perhaps the exception of those 
residing in Port-au-Prince and Cape Haytian, enjoy as 
good health as they did in their own countries. 

The mountain slopes and valleys, overlooked or sur- 
rounded by lofty ridges, are comparatively cool, and are 
favourable to Northern constitutions. Within a few hours' 
ride inland farms were visited, where the temperature, 
cooled by the neighbouring peaks, was bracing ; and in the 
same fields could be seen growing cabbage and bananas, 
potatoes and plantains, Indian-corn and sugar-cane, &c. 
Effective labour can be prosecuted by white men in such 
regions, and general good health maintained. The pro- 
cess of acclimation to strangers coming in was so slight as 
to be scarcely an inconvenience. It may be said generally 
that this process presents no greater obstacle to emigration 
than does the similar process in several of our new 
States. 

The physical configuration of the island is such that a 
decided difference exists between its eastern and western 
ends in regard to health. In the eastern or windward 
portion of the island, occupied by the Dominican republic, 
the principal mountain chains run in lines approaching an 
east and west direction. The valleys between them are 
therefore swept during the greater portion of the year 
by the trade winds, which in that latitude come from 
directions east and north-east. These valleys are thus con- 
stantly supplied with pure air from the sea, and malarious 
influences are rapidly dissipated. 



474 APPENDATORY. 



On the other hand, the west end of the island, occupied 
by Hayti, is walled in on its eastern or leeward side by 
chains of high mountains running in irregular curves 
from north to south. It would appear that these act to 
some extent as barriers to the trade winds ; and to this fact, 
coupled with the influence of neighbouring marshes and 
mangrove swamps, it is due in a great measure that Port- 
au-Prince and the country about it have so bad a reputa- 
tion in regard to health. 

As to the large towns, there can be no doubt that the 
want at present of any practical application of sanitary 
knowledge causes them to rank far lower in regard to 
health than they otherwise would. Among the leading 
historical events connected with Hayti and St Domingo 
which have stamped themselves upon the public mind 
are the dreadful epidemics, principally yellow fever, 
which ravaged the English, the French, and the Spanish 
armies successively landed upon the coast. 

The victims were Europeans, and their sad fate inter- 
ested millions, so that in the public mind St Domingo 
and yellow fever became almost synonymous. It is a 
matter of history that the most fatal expedition — that of 
the French at the beginning of this century — conducted 
its operations mainly in the Haytian part of the island. 

But this may be accounted for by the manner in which 
these troops were ftsed. Where actively employed, they 
committed many indiscretions, and were devoid of many of 
the necessary comforts to which even the soldier is accus- 
tomed ; especially was their clothing utterly unfitted for 
the climate in which they served. 

Add to this, operations were carried on without regard 
to the peculiarities of a climate which seems to demand 
that every one shall avoid for a few hours all labour under 
a tropic mid-day sun. 

But the greatest loss of the French was experienced 
while cooped up in the towns, or on shipboard, while being 



APPENDATORY. 475 

besieged by the negroes, and, as we have shown in the 
early chapters, in many cases forced to resort to dog-meat 
for food. 

But probably their greatest losses were occasioned by the 
harassing nature of their conflicts with the negroes, who, 
laying aside all established tactical rules of organisation 
and manoeuvre, simply became a vast body of skirmishers, 
retiring when attacked to their woods and hills, and then 
harassing, by ambushed and detached fire, old troops who 
had not yet learned the great art of modern warfare, of in- 
dependently availing themselves of advantages offered for 
shelter, by the nature of the ground. 

The English expedition to St Domingo, which is some- 
times referred to, so far as can be ascertained, was not 
attended by any greater loss of life from disease than might 
have been expected with the imperfect sanitary regulations of 
military forces which have existed down to a recent period. 

One of the medical officers attached to the English army 
remarks upon the cause of the great sickness of the troops 
in saying, " They were overworked, dispirited, and shut 
up in towns where they were deprived of every comfort, 
and thus gave way. They pursued a diet opposite to 
that of the French; eating meat freely, and drinking 
ardent spirits ; and being of plethoric habit, were quickly 
susceptible to the heat. The French, on the contrary, 
prepared themselves by gentle purges, ate little meat, and 
drank little wine, and that of the lightest kind, being- 
particular to get a tepid bath each day." 

Yet another writer says, '^ We have seen in St Domingo 
and Guadaloupe bodies of white troops, always active and 
in movement, execute on the largest scale field fortifications, 
and conclude their tasks with as much celerity as though 
they had lived all their life in Europe. And they resisted 
the attacks of tropical disease much better than those of 
the garrison who lived in idleness." 

'^ The losses of the Spanish army from illness were largely 



476 APPENDATORT. 

due to the utter lack of sanitary care ; and tlie Commis- 
sioners are satisfied that those losses have been enormously 
exaggerated. The Commissioners have given special 
attention to the matter of health; and besides getting 
information from other quarters, they have charged two 
medical gentlemen to report specially upon it. Their con- 
clusion is this : 

^' The popular idea that the Dominican territory is parti- 
cularly unhealthy, and that persons visiting it are periodi- 
cally liable to yellow fever, is entirely erroneous. The 
average general health and longevity is quite equal to, 
and probably greater than, that of the United States, as a 
whole. Immigrants are not liable to any more disturbance 
of general health in the process of acclimation, than are 
persons who pass from the old to the new States of the 
United States ; and, saving upon the sea-coast, the process 
is so gentle as to escape notice. Taking the year through, as 
much agricultural work can be done without affecting health 
as can be done in our middle and western States, and with 
greater results. Persons in all circumstances can here 
enjoy, by selecting their locality, a delicious climate and 
abundance of fruit, with far less liability to diseases of 
the lungs, to scarlet fever, and other fearful epidemics, 
and without any liability to yellow fever." 

The yellow fever in St Domingo, of which it is not a 
native, is different from that experienced in Philadelphia, 
as described by Dr Rush, and is not contagious : even in 
Cuba it is much overrated, for even there it is confined to 
localities always on the coast. 

The moment one retires to the interior or the hills, there 
is no danger. So evident is this, that the little village of 
Guanabacoa, hardly two miles from Havana, has had one 
battalion of newly-arrived troops perfectly safe during the 
fever season, while another, stationed in Havana, lost half 
its men. 

As regards St Domingo, my own experience, confirmed 



APPENDATORY. 4.77 

by that of almost every member of the Commission, was 
that we could find no trace that yellow fever had ever pre- 
vailed in any of this part of the island as an epidemic. 

A fellow-passenger, previously alluded to, and who, for 
over twenty years, had been a resident medical man at 
Santiago, assured me that, though he had been in every 
quarter of the globe, he had never met with a climate so 
undoubtedly salubrious as that of St Domingo ; and 
while not denying that yellow fever was as likely to 
visit the coast-line as an epidemic as any of the other TTest 
Indies, said it had never yet done so, except in the case of 
accumulated numbers of foreign troops. 

His views of sanitary measures for new-comers, being 
also those found in many reliable authorities, it may 
be said that, if attended to, they would undoubtedly be 
accompanied with good results. These are simply a gentle 
purge before landing, obviated in the case of those who 
have been sea-sick. A sparing use of fruit on first arrival. 
Xo matter what the nature of the outside clothing, which 
may be a light tweed or linen, a flannel shirt should in- 
variably be worn next the skin. A very moderate use of 
wines, and especially ardent spirits; the free use of water. 
and ice unlimited, if to be had ; a daily bath, cold in the 
morning, and tepid in the evening, is of great service to 
the health. 

Tafia, a superior quality of the native rum, if made into 
a punch with lemon and ice, is cooling to the blood. 

If to these are added exercise or labour, avoiding mid-day 
sun, and also great fatigue, general health would be as 
good here as in any part of the world to those residing on 
the coast, while in the interior there is nothing to appre- 
hend on the score of health. 

Two seasons are distinguished in the island — winter and 
summer. From the month of May to October, the rains 
are abundant, but diminishing in their quantity towards 
the latter month. From February to April, usually the 



478 APPENDATORY. 

season is known as the dry. In May and June the rains 
are not only heavy, but accompanied with thunder and 
lightning. The following is from M. St Mery : — 

" CLIMATE AND TEMPERATURE. 

" The island consisting partly in mountains and partly in plains, 
causes a great variety in the climate and temperature. This variety 
is especially produced by the situation in tne Region of the trade 
winds, as the wind coming from the east, towards which the island 
presents its whole length, finds in the intervals of the chains of 
mountains so many channels of circulation, by means of which it 
refreshes and tempers the mountains, an advantage that the plains, 
where portions of the mountains sometimes interrupt the passage of 
the wind and change its direction, do not partake in. Besides, a 
crowd of local circumstances, such as the elevation of the land, the 
quantity of water that runs over it, and the scarcity or abundance 
of wood, have a sensible influence upon the effect of the climate. 

■" If some powerful cause did not balance the action of the sun 
under the torrid zone, which darts its rays almiost perpendicularly 
during about three months in the year at St Domingo, the tempera- 
ture of this island would be insupportable to man, or at least to the 
man that nature had not formed on purpose for the climate. But 
this cause is in the wind, of which we have just spoken, the salutary 
effects of which soften those of the sun. 

" To the benign influence of the wind may be added that of the 
almost equal length of the days and nights, and that of abundant 
rains, which continually fill the air wdth a fluidity always desirable, 
and which, falling in profusion on the surface of the island, pro- 
duces, with the assistance of the evaporation caused by the heat, a 
sort of coolness in the air. 

" The eastern wind blows at St Domingo, as in the rest of the 
Antilles, almost all the day long, during the greatest part of the 
year. It begins pretty regularly about nine or ten o'clock in the 
morning ; rising as the sun rises towards his meridian height, and 
even after he begins to descend towards the west, it continues with 
unabated strength till two or three hours before sunset. This wind 
is commonly called at St Domingo the sea breeze, in opposition to 
that which I am now going to speak of. 

" The name of land breeze is given to a wind which cools the 
nights, and which blows from, the interior mountains. It generally 
begins to be felt about two or three hours after sunset, and continues 
till sunrise. 

" The effect of these two breezes forms a curious contrast. That 



APPENDATOBY. 479 



of the sea, coming from the circumference towards the centre, is 
seen advancing in that direction, agitating the leaves and other 
volatile bodies near the coast. The land breeze has an effect exactly 
opposed, and the more the situation approaches the centre of the 
island the sooner does it manifest itself. 

" It must not, however, be imagined, that the succession of these 
breezes is so very regular as not to be subject to any variation. At 
certain times of the year, and particularly during the equinoxes and 
solstices, the sea breeze becomes very strong, sometimes even im- 
petuous, and, during several days, blows without interval, or with 
but short pauses ; during which time the land breeze is not felt at 
all. At such seasons the violence of the sea breeze usually augments 
at the rising of the sun, as if encouraged by his presence. 

"At other times the land breeze predominates, which happens, 
for instance, in the tempestuous seasons. As almost all the tempests 
come from the interior part of the island, as soon as they begin to 
overspread the sky the sea breeze dies away, leaving the empire of 
the horizon to that of the land, which spreads in every direction, 
but with unequal rapidity, thick dark clouds, loaded with thunder 
and lightning, and pouring down deluges of rain. After the tempest 
is over, the land breeze continues predominant for the night, and 
even till the next day, when the sea breeze drives it back to its 
retreat in the mountains. 

" From the combined effect of the two breezes, comes an almost 
continual agitation in the air, which necessarily has a great deal of 
infiuence on its constituent qualities. With the sea breeze the air 
acquires the quality that gives to the lungs what is necessary to resist 
the heat and to cool the blood, which an abundant perspiration 
tends to heat and impoverish. But it is for the cheering return of 
the land breeze that the inhabitants of St Domingo wait with im- 
patience. This refreshing breeze gives to the whole body a calm 
sensation that the soul soon participates ; it invites sleep, renders it 
restorative, and, in the high lands, it strengthens the fibres, and even 
prolongs life." 

In the low grounds, the thermometer does not descend 
below 84° F., and ascends as high as 91°; but in the high 
lands, as has already been stated, the temperature is equable 
and agreeable. 

Notwithstanding this, however, the inhabitants scarcely 
agree upon what periods of the year ought to be designated 
winter and summer. Those who live to the west and south 
and midland parts consider the time between April and 



480 



APFENDATORY. 




November as includiDg the winter months or season of 
storms , the inhabitants of the northern districts reckon 
just the reverse, but neither of them speak of spring 
or autumn. 

The best season, however, for the new-comer to land and 
become easily acclimated may be said to be any time after 
October. 

In reference to the common belief that all the West India 

islands are the home of 
innumerable insects of 
a venomous nature, it 
may be said that this is 
quite wrong. The scor- 
pion, so much dreaded 
by the Northern mind, 
I saw very infrequently 
in St Domingo, and 
then it was not the 
wicked, alarming thing I had imagined ; and its sting is 
never dangerous, however inconvenient in its effects. 

The tarantula and lizard I have already alluded to, and 

there only remains 
the centipede to 
speak of, which is 
rarely met with, 
and then no more 
unpleasant in its 
effects than those 
of the Southern 

Centipede. StatcS. But this 

beautiful isle has no such pests as we possess in the galaxy 
of venomous reptiles and snakes, and even the primeval 
forests are void of any wild animals. 

The natural productions of this island it would be impos- 
sible, in a volume like this, to describe. Suffice it to say, that, 
in addition to those already mentioned, the soil and climate 



Scorpion. 




APPENDATORY. 481 

are capable of producing almost every variety known in the 
world ; while of the various woods, many almost unknown 
to commerce, the supply is unlimited. The most interesting 
subject for the emigrant would naturally be the land ques- 
tion ; and of land there is abundance of every kind, which 
for many years is likely to be had at a reasonable rate. The 
tenure at present is very peculiar, the system in vogue being 
that known as the '' Communero," a term which must not 
be confounded with that of land of the commune. 

The first arises from the fact that landed property, at the 
time of the conquest of the island, and during the following 
centuries, was held in the manner then prevailing, as a 
consequence of feudalism. Society being divided between 
lords and vassals, masters and slaves, the land was made pro- 
ductive by the sweat of the unfortunates who did not reap and 
enjoy its harvests, and it passed undivided into the hands 
of the privileged heir, in conformity to the laws of primo- 
geniture and entail, in order to preserve the lustre of family 
names. Eeligious communities considered as corporate moral 
persons and feudal lords, also possessed landed property : 
and as they had no family pride, and their only interest was 
that of the corporation, their property, however indivisible, 
became a resource for the poor colonist, who, unable to acquire 
an estate gratuitously, or conditioned on a burden of service, 
as did the nobility, found a means of living by his own 
work by renting monastic lands, paying a certain annual 
fee, or the offering of tithe, and the first-fruits of his crops. 
The original owners held by a complete title, and most 
of them were provided with a document called royal guar- 
antee (Amparo Real), by which the king guaranteed the 
validity of their acquisitions. At the death of the pro- 
prietor of an estate in the country, of whatever description, 
whether lots, farming, sugar, or pasture lands, his children 
and wife, if he had any, inherited that property, as measured 
and marked, that is, contained within known limits, and 
fixed on the plat and survey. 



482 APPENDATORT. 

The proprietor having been marriedj under the rule of 
conjugal community of property, his surviving wife ^vas 
entitled to one half of the land, and the children born dming 
the marriage to the other half. The family continuing to 
live on their estate, contained within the same limits, though 
possessed by a ]3lurality of owners, established certain rules 
among themselves in order to live together, each by one's 
own work, without actually dividing the farm ; each of the 
brothers and sisters having a right equal to that of each of 
the others, and the widow her own, equal to that of them all. 

When these brothers married and had children, that 
division of shares was further subdivided, that is, in theo- 
retical right, but not in fact, — every one holding propor- 
tionate to his rights with reference to the extent of the 
entire tract inherited as shown by the titles. 

The causes that originally prevented the actual division 
of the ground were various — 

] st. The high cost for surveying, which, multiplied accord- 
ing to the divisions made, would not only absorb, but exceed. 
the small value of the lands. 

2d, The nattire of such property itself, which cannot in 
fact be conveniently and eqtiitably divided, all being united 
as constituent parts of a farm, viz., the savanas, or plains, 
for the pasture of horned cattle, horses, and sheep : the 
woods, supplying timber, and whose shade is indispensable 
to animals during the heat of the day, and throughout the 
hot season ; the palm groves, famishing boards and covering 
for the building of huts, and food for swine, and the fibres 
of which supply cordage to the country people ; finally, the 
lands fit for cultivation, and running waters or ponds for 
the use of both man and beast. 

As it would be impossible to give pasture, wood, arable 
land, and water to each of the owners, or to deprive them of 
a single one of these elements without causing them irrepar- 
able damage, the necessity arises for harmonising their in- 
terests through community of possession tinder a common 



APPENDATOBY. 483 



title. When any of the proprietors wishes to sell his share, 
after having offered it to his co-owners and been refused, 
he can sell it to a stranger, who enters not into the com- 
munity of the family, but into that of the proprietorship 
as co-owner. 

From this arises the curious custom of buying a right, 
by which any inhabitant of a commune can for $50 or 
$100 secure a right which gives him the privilege of the 
land just as much as though he owned it, upon which he 
can settle, and build, and cultivate as much as he likes, 
without further tax or rent ; this he buys from some one oi 
the co-owners, each of whom has a right to his proportion. 
By a curious custom, however, which has become a law, 
a man who buys a right to settle or occupy land does not 
necessarily buy any privileges of mahogany-cutting ; this is 
a separate matter, and neither does the person buying the 
right to cut mahogany in a certain tract secure thereby any 
claim to the land. 

Of course, such customs can only exist without trouble 
in a country where land is abundant and the population 
small ; and it matters little at present, because the land 
is not measured. Thus a person buying for $50 the right 
to enter a communero tract, that may comprise several 
leagues, can take any part or all of it that is not occupied, 
no matter how much it may be, provided he does not inter- 
fere with the improved land of any one else, or the land 
from which is drawn their supplies of timber. To secure his 
title he must, however, occupy and use it. If, however, such 
person temporarily leaves his house for a. year or more, and 
it burns down, and the improvements are not kept up, any 
other person has the right to enter upon and hold his tract. 

Naturally from this condition of affairs there is some- 
times considerable uncertainty about titles, and the most 
undoubted one is that where the owner can show undisputed 
possession for thirty years back, as that makes a good title. 

In regard to the public lands, there is no certainty as 
36 



484 APPENDATORT. 

regards the quantity, for even in tlie time of the Spaniards 
the archives had almost entirely disappeared ; and this again 
is subject to the curious system of the '' Communes," which 
consist of the districts over which the " Ayuntamientos " 
rule, and who hold rights in all unclaimed lands for the 
commune. But these lands cannot be sold except by per- 
mission of the general Government, although the commune 
can give such a lease as is equal to a title. 

There is no difficulty, however, in securing plenty of good 
land at a merely nominal sum ; and, as an illustration, an 
American has bought within a short distance of St Domingo 
city nearly three hundred acres'of land for some $1200, 
upon which were some improvements of the value of about 
$600. He has held this land about three years, and now 
has fourteen thousand coffee-trees growing, hundreds of 
bread-fruit, tamarind, orange, lemon, lime, and aguacate 
trees, with acres of the cocoa-tree set out. 

From corn grass alone, this enterprising individual has 
been deriving a revenue of from $100 to $150 per month, 
without there being an ear of corn. In addition to these he 
has over four thousand banana- trees just commencing to bear. 

This is no singular case, but one that can occur with any 
ordinarily intelligent industrious man. 

The data furnished by authorities as to population are 
very meagre and unsatisfactory. An estimate was recently 
made by the ecclesiastical court, counting by parishes, which 
gave a total of 207,000. There are evident signs of errors 
in this estimate. For instance, the capital was set down at 
ten thousand ; while it is obvious to the careful observer who 
counts streets and houses, that there cannot be over six 
thousand, if so many. Comparing these figures of the 
ecclesiastical court with certain known facts, and with all 
the evidence we could gather from intelligent witnesses and 
personal observation, the Commission estimate that the 
actual population of the republic does not exceed 150,000. 
This does not in chide the many who have voluntarily 



APPENDATORY. 485 

expatriated themselves on account of continual disturbances, 
nor the few who have been banished. 

It seems probable that more than nine-tenths, perhaps 
nineteen-twentieths, are native Dominicans. The others 
are — first, coloured emigrants from the United States : 
secondly, European traders, who do not settle anywhere, 
but sojourn at commercial points. Negro blood prepon- 
derates very largely in Hayti, but the pure negro of African 
type is not common even there. White blood preponderates 
largely in Dominica, but pure whites, in the popular sense 
of the word, are not numerous. The majority are of a mixed 
race, much nearer white than black. 

The great majority, especially along the coast, are 
neither pure black nor pure white ; they are mixed in 
every conceivable degree. In some parts of the interior 
considerable numbers of the white race are to be found, and 
generally in the mixed race the white blood predominates. 
The Dominican people differ widely in this particular from 
the Haytians, among whom the black race is in complete 
ascendancy. The cultivated and educated, such as the 
President, members of his Cabinet, senators, judges, and 
local magistrates, compare well with the same classes in 
other countries, and the uneducated appear equal to the 
same class in any country with which we are acquainted. 
They seem to be practically destitute of prejudice of class, 
race, or colour. In their intercourse with each other and 
with strangers, they are courteous in manner, respectful, 
and polite. In all their relations with them the Com- 
missioners found them kind and hospitable. 

The testimony shows them to be an honest and inoffensive 
people, among whom, in the rural districts, a person may 
travel alone and unarmed all over the country with treasure 
without danger. All of the numerous parties attached to 
the Commission, which traversed various parts of the 
country, bear the same testimony concerning the people. 
The judicial officers stated that high crimes, such as murder, 



486 APFENDATORY. 

arson, burglary, and the like, are nearty unknown among 
them. No pauper class exists, and beggary is almost un- 
known. They are temperate people, and drunken men are 
rarely seen. Among popular vices is that of petty gambling, 
which is indulged in openly and extensively, especially by 
the Spanish portion of the population. 

They are all Roman Catholics, except the American 
emigrants sent out in 1824 and succeeding years, who, with 
their descendants, now form a number of settlements, and 
amount to several thousand persons. These are mostly 
Methodists and Baptists. They live among the Catholics 
in peace and harmony. No intolerance or religious 
persecution can be discovered among them. The people 
are generally poor, living in cheap and humble dwellings, 
which, though well adapted to their country, might appear 
rude and uncomfortable to those accustomed to houses made 
for a more rigorous climate, but, as compared with those of 
the labouring class in Europe, infinitely superior. In the 
country, almost every family possesses all the land they 
desire to cultivate, which is generally one small field, for an 
acre or two well tilled is sufficient, in this fertile land, to fur- 
nish a family with their food. The reason they unanimously 
assign for not cultivating more is, that amid constantly 
recurring revolutions it is very uncertain who may reap the 
crop. Besides, there is no market here for surplus produce. 

As regards the future, this question of population is a very 
satisfactory one, if St Domingo should become allied to any 
strong Government; for five years' emigration would entirely 
change its character, as has been the case in California. 

It has been the fashion among some of our politicians to 
urge the purchase of Cuba, even at the price of one hundred 
millions of dollars, and it has a large and extensively mixed 
population, with all their habits, ideas, and customs fully 
established,, with still a larger number of slaves and coolies.* 

* The author takes the liberty of referriog the reader interested in this 
subject to his previous work on Cuba, in which he will see how, even under 



APPENDATORY. 487 

But here is an almost virgin island, more desirable in 
every way, with a free, limited, and simple people, who have no 
particularly fixed habits, ideas, or customs, that would not 
readily assimilate to those of the new-comers. One-tenth of 
the above-named sum, expended in improving the means of 
communication, in exploring and seeking information of its 
resources, with the change that American machinery and 
enterprise, accompanying emigration into the island, would 
bring, would in a few years give us an island equally valuable 
as Cuba, and aptly illustrate the fact that our institutions 
and civilisation are adapted to any climate and to any people. 

As a great deal has been said in reference to the finances 
and the land concessions of the Dominican Government, I 
here append the result of the searching investigations of 
the Commissioners. First, in reference to the 

*' PUBLIC DEBT. 

" The Commissioners made a careful and prolonged investigation 
into the important subject of the indebtedness of the Dominican 
EepubHc, collecting all the information that could be communicated 
by the officials whose special duty it was to know every detail of 
the finances and the liabilities of the Government, all that could be 
obtained from the records in the public offices, from the statements 
of claimants of every kind who could be heard of and found, and 
from the explanations of the President and his chief officers in regard 
to the whole and each item thereof. They also received from the 
Senate a list of claims and their respective amounts pending before 
that body, which is appended. 

" The following summary statement exhibits briefly the result of 
those inquiries as to ' the debt of the Government and its obligations; 
whether funded and ascertained and admitted, or unadjusted and 
under discussion.' The receipts of the last three years have been 
mostly used for previous war debts, and for the cancelling of out- 
standing paper money. The latter, which originally amounted to the 
sum of $2,628,300, left in circulation by Cabral, has been nearly all 
redeemed by customs receipts, as was also the amount of $243,070 iti 
Spanish war bonds. 

a despotic and shortsighted Government, this island has, within only a few 
years comparatively, and principally owing to the introduction of American 
machinery, been developed. The author believes the day St Domingo becomes 
one of the United States, that day is the value of Cuba lost to Spain. 



488 APPENDATORY. 

I. The salaries due amount to ... . $600,000 00 

II. Bonds, treasury notes, &c,, viz. : — 

1. Spanish war bonds, amount issued, . $324,160 00 
Amount cancelled, . . . 243,070 00 



Amount outstanding, . . 81,090 00 

2. Treasury notes, nominal balance in 

circulation, $147,575.18, at the 
price fixed by senatorial decree, 
$400 for one dollar in silver, gives 
really .... 368 93| 

3. Notes of credit (new paper money), 

nominal balance out of the Con- 
troller's office, $88,832.30 ; at 30 
for one silver dollar, . . 2,961 07 

4. Obligations of the present Adminis- 

tration, issued by the Controller, . 9,761 36 

5. Obligations of the present Adminis- 

tration, issued by the Controller, 

at 6 per cent., . . . 1,153 00 



Total of bonds, treasury notes, &c. . . 95,334 36| 

Til. Sundry debts and loans due towns and individuals, . 49,443 02^ 

DEFERRED DEBT. 

IV. Bills and obligations of Cabral's Administration, unpaid 
because of doubtful origin, the gross amount of 
which is, ...... 221,845 77 

Note. — This debt is now in process of consolidation, 
and may be reduced to less than one-third of its 
nominal sum. 
V. Notes of National Bank, countersigned by the General 

Treasurer, ...... 4,130 00 

VI. Sundry loans bearing interest (back interest not included), 293,511 23 
Vll. Loan, without interest, subject to rebate for advances, . 20,223 20 
VIIL Debt of 1859 :— 

Amount not known, because it is not known whether 
any was redeemed during the Spanish Administration. 
It cannot exceed $50,000 or $60,000, reckoned at . 50,000 00 



Total debt, .... $1,334,487 59| 

IX. Pending claims : — 

Of .Jessurun & Son, claim before Senate, 
for loan of $100,000 in 1857, con- 
tested since, and now under considera- 
tion by the Chamber of Accounts, . $100,000 00 
Of Jessurun & Son, for hire of schooner 

^we^ia in 1857, less than . . 10,000 00 

Of Rofman & Lowenthal, and others, .. 14,000 00 

Of General Baez, for spoliations, . 7P,000 00 

Of W. L. Cazeneau, for spoliations in 1863, 10,000 00 



Total, 204,000 00 

X, Of J. C. Castillanos, francs 131,719 40. 
Of A. Postel, francs 5,007. 

Total of debt and claims in dollars, about . 1,565,831 59^ 



APPENDATORY. 



489 



" The following statement of the receipts for 1870 is here presented, 
in order to give, as far as possible, a complete view of the financial 
condition of the Dominican Kepublic : — 

RESULTS OF THE INCOME OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR 1870. 

1. Customs Receipts 



Tonnage, 

Entrance fees, 

Light-houses, 

Anchorage, . 

Pilotage, 

Lighterage, . 

Interpreter, 

Signal-men, . 

Quarantine, 

Wharfage, . 

Recargo, municipal, 

Recargo for steamer, 

Water, 

Import dues, 

Export dues, 

Coast fees, . 

Deposits, 

Additional entrance fees, 



$27,206 60 
1,469 95 
679 01 
1,469 95 
1,429 27 
216 00 
614 20i 
594 16.4 
430 16i 
6,793 38 
1,105 36i 
5,886 14 
241 00 
601,393 64i 
71,419 20i 
7,511 11 
132 43 
14 00 



2. 

Registry and mortgages. 
Licences, 
Stamped paper, 
Postage stamps, 
Postal income. 


Direct and Indirect Taxes. 

. $2,147 061 
. 12,721 86| 
■ . 18,574 50 
1,083 69 
. . 929 42f 



$728,605 583 



Sales and rents. 



3. Public Property. 



4. Sundries. 



35,466 55 



150 00 



Sundries, 



,462 62 



Total, 



$772,684 75i 



" The Commissioners believe that the statement of the public debt 
given above includes all the indebtedness or obligations for which 
the Dominican Kepublic is in any degree liable, as well that which 
it considers valid and binding as that which it regards as unfounded 
or overstated by the claimants. Throughout the inquiry it was 
urged upon the Dominican authorities that every claim known to exist, 
of whatever character, should be exhibited to the Commission, whose 
object was not only to determine the precise amount that was justly 
due and binding, but to get at the bottom and find the utmost limit 
of these obligations, setting forth everything for which the Govern- 
ment could, under any circumstances, be made liable. 



490 APPENDATORY, 



" The above account contains much that the Dominican Govern- 
ment believes to be partly or wholly groundless, and some v7hich,upon 
inspection, will appear questionable. There was brought to the notice 
of the Commission a claim of Messrs Jessurun & Son, of Curacoa, for 
upwards of $500,000 for money advanced to the Dominican Govern- 
ment, with interest, this being the same loan of $100,000, in 1857, 
mentioned in the preceding list of the pending claims by the same 
parties. On being asked if he had any statement or explanation to 
make regarding it, Mr Jessurun, who submitted the claim, declined 
to make any. This claim has been already for a considerable time 
before the Dominican Government, which refuses to consider more 
of it than the amount named in the foregoing list, and of that it is 
believed but a small portion will be allowed. 

" The debt was incurred for arms and provisions in time of war, 
when the property furnished was estimated at $100,000, on which 
compound interest, at 18 per cent., was to be allowed. It is claimed 
by the Dominican Government that, soon after the original contract 
was made, the Government turned over to these claimants a ship and 
cargo valued at $70,000 dollars, and that subsequently other payments 
were made, which, taken together, reduce the amount to a sum much 
below that named in the foregoing list. The claim is now pending 
before the Dominican Senate, and undetermined. Among the pend- 
ing claims is one of President Baez for destruction of property. 

"It is alleged by the claimant that the Spanish Government recog- 
nised this claim as valid, and ordered an examination to fix the 
amount, but the Commission cannot understand how this claim could 
be valid against the Dominican Government. 

"Another claim for damages, amounting to $10,000, made by W. 
L. Cazeneau, seems to be of a similar nature.'' 

Passing over all of the statements, so freely made in 
the United States, of grants of land having been made to 
prominent officials, as utterly without foundation, I shall 
give a glance at some concessions of lands, rights, and 
privileges that are still in force, many others which had 
been previously granted being now entirely void ; and 
it may be said that, if the terms of these concessions 
are complied with and fally carried out, St Domingo will 
receive a fair quid pro quo for that she bestows. 

I cannot refrain, however, from expressing a wish that 
our Government had seen fit to accept this island as a 
territory, and, taking charge of its development andinterests. 



APPENDATORY. 491 

had retained in its own hands the control of roads, mines, 
and telegraph. In doing this it wonld more rapidly develop 
the resources of the island, would give confidence to the 
settler, and enable at once this island to take a place in 
the moneyed and commercial world as a spot worthy of the 
attention of the largest capitalists. 

The United States Commission, as directed by the resolu- 
tions of Congress, made diligent inquiry to ascertain what 
proportion of the territory is covered by foreign claims or 
by grants and concessions, and generally what concessions 
and franchises have been granted, with the names of the 
respective grantees. The following list, condensed from an 
official statement furnished by the Dominican Secretary of 
State, with accompanying documents, and confirmed by the 
testimony, gives an answer to this inquiry : — 

A grant to J. W. Fabens, or a company organised 
for the purpose, dated July 3, 1868, of a portion of the 
public lands, on condition of making a geological survey. 
This is a contract authorising Fabens, by himself, or any 
company organised for the purpose, to make a general geolo- 
gical examination and survey of all the provinces and districts 
at the expense of said company, reports to be made every 
three months, as the survey progresses, to the Dominican 
Government, to enable it to offer for sale the mineral and 
agricultural lands of the localities examined, also an annual 
report of said company : to receive one-fifth of the public 
lands so surveyed, excepting coal lands, to be set apart as 
the quarterly reports are rendered. This survey is now in 
progress. The parties owning the franchise and paying the 
expense are chiefly New York capitalists. 

A grant to R M. Funkhauser, of New Jersey, October 7, 
1868, for a line of mail steamers between New York, New 
Orleans, and the Dominican Eepublic, with a provision that 5 
per cent, of the import and export dues on all merchandise 
carried by said line be allowed to the owners of steamers. 
This line is now run by Spofford Brothers of New York. 



492 APPENDATORY. 



A grant to Ed. H. Hartmont, to take guano from the 
island of Alta Yela, in consideration of the loan of May 
1869. As this loan was for a large amount, and has 
given rise to a great many statements from those opposed 
to the annexation scheme, it may be as well to state here, that 
it was originally to be negotiated for the sum of £420,000, 
and was to be brought out in London ; and that, as security 
for its payment, certain liens and concessions were made of 
lands and privileges which have since been voided, except 
that of the Alta Yela privilege, as the Dominican authorities 
claim, for non-fulfilment of contract. 

Fifty thousand pounds were to be paid down on the con- 
clusion of the contract, but owing to some revolutionary 
troubles, only some £3000 were so paid at once, but subse- 
quently a further sum was paid, and the Dominican authori- 
ties acknowledge in their books an indebtedness to Hartmont 
& Co., of London, to the amount of £38,095, 4s. 9d., which 
they contend is the sum received, but for which there is a 
claim of £50,000 at 6 per cent., and which the Dominicans 
had under discussion ; this is the principal part in the above 
statement of interest-bearing loans. 

A grant to Fred. H. Fisher, of New York, September 9, 
1869, for building a railroad from' Santiago to Yuna river 
or Samana peninsula; to Felix Montecatini, August 3, 
1867, renewed and extended April 5, 1870; to Shumacker 
& Augenard, for railroad from Ozama river to San Christo- 
bal ; to Julian G-rangerard, June 3, 1870, for building a rail- 
road from Azua to Los Caobas ; to Levi Guilamo, November 

4, 1870, for constructing telegrajjh lines necessary in the 
republic; to Carlos Baez, May 8, 1870, for rent of salt 
works at Bani ; to Telesforo Yolto, for salt works at Beata 
Island ; to Industrial and Progressive Company, November 

5, 1866, to work copper-mine at El Cobre, San Cristobal ; 
to W- L. Cazeneau, January 18, 1867, copper-mine at 
Monte Mateo, San Cristobal; to the same, July 12, 1869, 
copper-mine at Mano Matney, and at Loma de la Boca 



APFENDATORT. 493 

de Diamarte, San Cristobal (the last three being con- 
solidated under law of August 10, 1870) ; to Cambiaso & 
Co., October 24, 1867, copper-mine at Boca de Cuajo, 
Upper Haina, San Cristobal ; to St Domingo Company 
(G-eological Survey Company), February 25, 1870, the 
mining circuit, Buenaventura, Upper Haina, San Cris- 
tobal, by virtue of geological survey, to be modified to 
conform to geological contract; to Felix Montecatini, 
March 19, 1867, mining district in Cuajo San Cristobal 
(void), renewed to Shumacher & Augnard, July 28, 1870; 
to St Domingo Company, September 16, 1870; mining 
district of Camu. 

The Dominican Government has made no grant or con- 
cession of land to any foreign Government or nation except 
the United States. 

To the grants to foreigners by the Government above 
enumerated must be added some by municipalities. Of 
these the only ones which seem to the Commission to re- 
quire notice here are those to certain parties, citizens of the 
United States, of lands and lots in the village of Santa 
Barbara, on the Bay of Samana, granted by the authorities 
of that town from its property as follows : — To J. P. 
0' Sullivan, December 1, 1868, of 930 feet fronting on the 
harbour and extending back several hundred feet, varying 
in depth in different parts, at |62 per annum rent for 
twenty-one years ; also, 84 feet and 90 feet to the same at 
|4 rent for each, December 11, 1869. These leases are 
made perpetual, provided there be no law to prevent the 
same. To J. W. Fabens, December 11, 1869, of 1683 feet, 
fronting on the harbour, in perpetuity at $112 per annum. 
These grants cover a large part of the unoccupied available 
front of the harbour. There was also a lease by the municipal 
government of the city of St Domingo of a wharf front of 
limited extent and importance to W. L. Cazeneau. 

And here my labours must come to an end; but before 
taking my leave of the reader, I will answer a question that 



494 APPENDATORY. 

has often been addressed to me since my return, " Is St 
Domingo such a desirable, beautiful land? " 

With a free government, and such an immigration as 
annexation to the United States would bring, I believe in 
a few years St Domingo would be the jewel state of our 
Union, not even excepting California. It has been the lot 
of the writer to traverse every section of his own land, and 
he knows no state or section more attractive ; for here the 
labourer will find ample occupation, while to the man of 
means or cultivation a field is open to amply reward his 
investments, or give him unlimited sources of pleasure, 
in establishing homes that shall rival the most beautiful of 
so-called sunny Italy itself. 

It is only since the writer's visit to Europe that he has 
fully comprehended the reason of the admiration of the 
early Europeans for the sunny lands of the tropics ; and he 
believes that were Santo Domingo settled and rendered 
habitable, that thousands of our citizens, who now spend 
their winters on some parts of the continent, looking for a 
climate they never find, would here discover a winter resi- 
dence unrivalled in any part of the world. 

But what stronger evidence can be quoted than the words 
of that venerable cosmopolite Dr Howe, who, on receiving a 
serenade from some Dominicans, said : — 

" People too often overlook or forget the good they have, and 
think only of their sufferings and wants. Since I have been here, 
people have been talking continually to me about the disadvantages 
under which they labour — of the convulsions, and civil wars, and 
oppressions, and all that. There is another side of the picture. I 
find myself in danger of having my reason carried away by my 
senses. All my senses are, as it were, subjugated by the surround- 
ings. I find the most beautiful island I have ever seen. The balmy 
atmosphere, the mild and even temperature — everything addresses 
itself to my sense de hien etre. My eyes are dazzled by the beauty 
of enchanting scenery. My sense of taste is gratified by the luscious 
and abundant fruits that are everywhere around us ; and now comes 
your music, and so charms away my sense of hearing, that I find 
all my senses enlisted and carried away in your favour ; and although 



APPENDATORY. 495 

I may not say what I shall advise my countrymen to do on the 
subject of annexing the Dominican Republic, I feel strongly inclined 
to annex myself and my family to this beautiful island." 



HINTS TO EMIGRANTS OR TRAVELLERS. 

St Domingo may be easily visited by steamer from New York 
once a month. Any time after October it will be found a delight- 
ful trip, even if never leaving the steamer except while she is in 
various ports. 

From St Domingo, the trip may be extended to Puerto Rico, 
Curacoa, St Thomas, Jamaica, and either across or around Cuba 
to the United States. The money of most value in use is American 
gold and silver. 

The emigrant is advised to take all supplies with him in the 
shape of clothing, which need be only light woollen or linens, with 
woollen underclothing of a light kind. 

For those who intend prospecting the island, a good M'Clellan 
saddle-tree, with stirrups and stirrup leathers only, of russet leather, 
will be found better than anything on the island ; with this a felt 
saddle-cloth and small saddle-bags. 

High boots and shoes are best of russet leather, on account of the 
mud. A poncho or waterproof cloak will be useful. 

A small mess-chest with a stout tent-fly will make the traveller 
with his own supplies absolutely independent of hotels or hospi- 
tality. 

Extract of beef in small cans or jars will prove worth its weight 
in gold in a place where fresh meat is seldom to be had, and then 
only of pork, the free use of which is undoubtedly the cause of so 
much sickness in the tropics. 

A stout wood-knife is always, and a revolver sometimes useful ; 
and a shot-gun may be of service where there is no field for a 
rifle. 

A pocket Spanish Dictionary will sometimes get one out of a 
difficulty, and sometimes — into one. 



49B 



APPENDATOMT. 



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APPENDATORT. 



497 



GENERAL STATISTICS PERTAINING TO HAYTI. 

The following shows of what this island is capable, under proper 
administration. The Spanish portion, it has been shown, has 
never been sufficiently populated, or peacefully governed for a 
lengthened period, to give any important or reliable results ; but 
being the virgin part of the island, nearly three times the extent ol' 
Hayti, and of much more productive climate and soil generally, some 
idea can be formed by comparison of what it might be capable. 



General Statement of the Productions and Manufactures of the 
French Part of St Domingo in the year 1791. 

The island was divided into fifty-one parishes, containing — 



Sugar plantations, . 


. 792 


Cocoa plantations, . 


69 


Coffee do. 


. 2810 


Limekilns, 


. 313 


Cotton do. 


. 705 


Brick yards and potteries, 


61 


Indigo do. 


. 3097 


Number of negro hands 




Tanneries, 


3 


employed, 


455,000 


Rum distilleries, . 


. 173 







The products of tlie above, and its accompanying business, gave 
rise to a commerce which comprised more than one-third of the 
whole of that done by France. A comparative table shows there 



Exported from Hayti in 1789-1820. 



1789. 
lbs. 
Clayed sugar, 47,516,531 
Moscobado, . 93, 573, 309 
Coffee, 
Cotton, 



1820. 

lbs. 

2,787 

2,514,502 

76,835,219 35,137,759 

7,001,274 346,389 



Cocoa, 



Indigo, . 

Molasses, 

Dyewoods, 

Tobacco, 



1789. 
lbs. 
758,628 
25,749 
6,768,634 



556,424 Mahogany, ft. 



1820. 
lbs. 



1,919,748 

97,600 

129,500 



In 1789, the money value of these exports amounted to over 
twenty-eight millions of dollars ; and at a glance it will be seen, in 
comparison with the year 1820, what an immense falling ofi" there 
was under the negro regime ; and the following tables will show 
what an immense difference exists in the Hayti of to-day and the 
St Domingo of the past, — the sugar and molasses product being 
utterly extinct 



498 



APPENDATORY. 



The whole Island, 1835-36-40. 




1835. 


1836. 


1840." 




lbs. 


lbs. 


lbs. 


Ginger, 


8,710 


16,000 


8,136 


Hides,* 


24,951 


14,891 


39,627 


Was, . 


10,900 


16,000 


19,862 


Coffee, 


. 48,352,371 


37,662,672 


46,126,272 


Cotton, 


. 1,649,717 


1,072,555 


922,575 


Cocoa, 


397,324 


550,584 


442,365 


Dyewoodsjf. 


. 13,293,737 


6,767,902 


30,283,205 


Tobacco, + . 


. 2,086,600 
ft 


1,222,716 

ft 


1,725,389 

ft 


Mahogany, . 


513,316 


4,954,944 


4,072,641 



In 1857-8, the coffee crop exported amounted to over 
33,285,000 lbs. This is exclusive of that used in the island, and 
that remaining unpicked. 

The importations of 1858 were equal to nearly »$4,000,000 ; the 
exportations, $6,500,000. Of these— 





IMPOKTATIONS. 


EXPORTATIONS. 


• 


Per cent. 


Per cent. 


From England, . 


19.84 


36.74 


„ United States, . 


55.76 


21.75 


„ France, 


13.34 


20.42 


„ Other places, 


11.06 


12.09 



Since that period the amounts produced have rather decreased 
than increased, and the Government may really be said to be bank- 
rupt, since it cannot redeem its paper currency. 



TREATY concluded between the Plenipotentiaries of their 
Most Christian .and Most Catholic Majesties, concerning 
the Boundaries of the French and Spanish Possessions in 
the Island of St Domingo, June 3, 1777. 

Preamble. — In order to effect the said treaty, the two sovereigns 
have named the following plenipotentiaries, to wit — On the part of 
his Most Christian Majesty, his Excellency the Marquis of Ossun, 
grandee of Spain of the first order, field-marshal in the army of his 
Most Christian Majesty, knight of his orders, and his ambassador 
extraordinary and plenipotentiary at the court of Spain j and, on 

* Principally from St Domingo. 

t Principally the product of the logwood, planted by the French for 
hedges, and now overgrown. 

X Principally from St Domingo. 



APPEFDATORY. 499 



the part of his Most Catholic Majesty, his Excellency Don Joseph 
Monino de Florida Blanca, knight of the order of Charles III., 
counsellor of state, and first secretary of state for foreign affairs. 
The said plenipotentiaries, after having conferred together, and made 
a mutual communication of their full powers, have agreed on the 
following articles : — 

Article I. — The boundaries between the two nations shall remain 
perpetually and invariably fixed at the mouth of the river D'Ajabon, 
or Kiver of the Massacre, on the northern side of the said island, and 
at the mouth of the river Pedernales, or Des Anses h Pitre, on the 
southern side, in the terms specified in the second article ; observing 
only here, that if, in future, any doubt should arise as to the identity 
of the rivers Pedernales and Anses a Pitre, it is already decided that 
it is the river commonly called by the Spaniards the river Pedernales, 
that the plenipotentiaries mean to point out as the boundary. 

Article II. — Seeing that the last survey, taken by the Viscount 
of Choiseul and Don Joachim Garcia, in quality of commissioners, 
conjointly with the respective engineers and inhabitants boru in the 
country, has been executed in the most exact and minute manner, 
with a perfect knowledge of the arrangement made between the 
French and Spanish commandants on the 29th February 1776 ; and 
seeing that they had before their eyes the different tracts of territory, 
and were fully capable of clearing up all doubts and ambiguities 
that could arise from the wording of the said arrangement ; and 
further, seeing that landmarks have been planted by a common 
accord all along the frontier, and that more correct plans have been 
taken in which the said landmarks are distinctly represented ; for 
these reasons, the undersigned plenipotentiaries stipulate, that the 
said instrument, made and signed by the said commissaries on the 
28th August 1776, and in which all the points, rivers, valleys, and 
mountains, through or over which the line of demarcation passes, 
are clearly and distinctly pointed out, shall be inserted in, and make 
part of the present article, as follows : — 

Description of the boundaries of the Island of St Domingo, as 
fixed at Attalaya the 29th of February 1776, by the definitive 
treaty, suh sperati, concluded between their Excellencies, Don 
Joseph Solano, knight of the order of St Jago, brigadier in the royal 
army of his Catholic Majesty, governor and captain-general of the 
Spanish part, president of the royal court, inspector of the regulars 
and militia, superintendent of the crusade, sub-delegate judge of the 
revenue of the posts, and plenipotentiary of his Catholic Majesty ; 
and Victor Therese Charpentier, Marquis of Ennery, count of the 
Holy Empire, field-marshal in the army of his Most Christian 
Majesty, great cross of the royal military order of St Louis, inspector- 
37 



500 - APPENDATORY. 

general of infantry, regulars, and militia of the French Leeward 
Islands, and plenipotentiary of his Most Christian Majesty. 

The said plenipotentiaries having signed the said original treaty 
by seniority of age, delivered, in consequence, their instructions of 
the same date to the undersigned, Don Joachim Garcia, lieutenant- 
colonel in the army of his Catholic Majesty, commanding the 
infantry of the trained militia of the Spanish colony ; and Hyacinthe 
Louis Viscount de Choiseul, brigadier in the army of his Most 
Christian Majesty, named as commissaries to put in execution the 
articles of the said treaty, which fix invariably the boundaries of the 
possessions of the two crowns ; to erect pyramids, plant landmarks, 
where necessary, to preclude for ever hereafter all disputes that might 
disturb the harmony and good understanding between the two 
nations, and to make out, with the assistance of a sufficient number 
of engineers, the topographical survey, to which the undersigned 
refer for fuller explanation ; observing that it has been impossible to 
sign it, as mentioned in the treaty, by the chief engineer, Mr 
Boisforet, employed by a superior order in- the functions of his 
office. 

In execution of the said treaty, the line of demarcation of the 
boundaries begins on the northern coast at the mouth of the river 
D'Ajabon or Massacre, and ends on the southern coast at the moutli 
of the river of the ilnses a Pitre or Pedernales, on the banks of which 
rivers pyramids have been erected, as marked in the plan ; the two 
first bearing No. 1, and the two last No. 221, with the inscriptions 
graved in stone, France, Espana. The plan clearly explains all the 
rest according to the real position ; observing well that when the 
right or left of the line is spoken of, it is meant the right or left 
according to the route followed by the commissaries ; and that, with 
respect to the rivers and streams, the right or left means the right 
or the left in going from the source towards the mouth. 

In going up the D'Ajabon or Massacre, its waters and fishery in 
common form the line of frontier as far as the pyramid No. 2, 
of the little island divided by the pyramids, Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6, 
conformably to the treaty, and as this line is not a tangent one, 
to the furthest elbow of the Ravine a Caiman, the marsh being 
impassable. 

The two pyramids, No. 7, mark that the waters united into one 
arm between the two little islands, the river becomes in common, 
and forms the line as below. 

The second island is divided by the pyramids from No. 8 to No. 
17 inclusively, as represented on the plan, though, in conformity to 
the treaty, it should be divided by a right line from one extremity 
to the other, which forms a fork where the right arm of the river takes 



APPENDATORY. 501 

the name of Don Sebastian, and the other the name of Left Arm of 
the Massacre. But the particular plan that served as the basis of this 
article, representing the island as an ellipsis, and divisible only by 
one right line, was so incorrect, that it became necessary to take a 
new one, such as it now appears in the general plan ; and the island 
has been divided by two lines which meet, in order to avoid doing 
prejudice, conformably to the fifth article of the treaty, to the 
essential interests of the vassals of his Catholic Majesty, whose land 
would have been bereft from them by a division of one right 
line. 

From the pyramid No. 17, the river of the Massacre and the 
stream of the Capotille form the boundary of the respective posses- 
sions as far as the landmark No. 22. In this interval there are two 
pyramids. No. 18, placed on the banks of the Massacre, which is 
crossed by the high road from the town of D'Ajabon to that of 
Ouanarainthe ; two at the mouth of the stream of the Mine, No. 20, 
and two landmarks, bearing the same, No. 21, at the bottom of the, 
mouth, where are the settlements of Mr Graston, and where two 
little streams join, which form that of Capotille. The line ascends 
along the deep -banked stream on the left as far as No. 22, where 
ends the plantations that it surrounds in going on to No. 23, and 
the top of the hill which it runs along to No. 24, on the Piton des 
Ramiers. 

From this point the line runs to the top of the mountains of La 
Mine and Marigallega, in following the old road of the Spanish 
rounds as far as the landmark No. 25, at the point formed by the 
little savanna of Sirop, on the plantation of the late Mr Lassalle des 
Carrieres ; it continues along some coffee grounds, surrounded with 
a hedge of lemon-trees, belonging to the same inhabitant, whose 
overseer is Mr Maingault, till it comes to the Piton des Perches, and 
then descends in a right line by Nos. 26, 27, and 28, in the savanna 
of the same name, on the right side of which, and by No. 29, the line 
ascends the Montague des Racines, that of Grand Selles, Chocolate, and 
Coronade, where is placed No. 30. Hence, keeping the same moun- 
tain in an open road, the line comes to No. 31, placed on the slope 
of the Piton de Bay aba, where the line cannot be mistaken going 
over the summit of a mountain, with an open road which runs over 
the top of the Morne ^ Tenebre by No. 32, over the Piton des 
Essentes as far as No. 33 of Filgueral, leaving to the right the 
sources of Grand Riviere, which run in the French part, and, on the 
left, the head or stream of the Eperlins, which runs in the Spanish 
part. 

From No. 33 the line continues along a well-marked road, and 
crosses some deep hollows, represented on the plan, till it comes to 



502 APPENDATORY. 

the Montagne Traversiere, on the top of which, and along by N'o. 
34, it goes to No. 35, which cuts the stream called the Riiisseau des 
Sables; 36, 37, on the road, in common along a great wood, 38 on 
the stream of Ziguapo or Chapelets, where, by the branches of the 
mountain of the same name, the line comes to the top of it at No. 
39, whence runs the branch or ridge called the Montagues des 
Chandeliers, along which the line now goes, passing by the land- 
marks Nos. 40, 41, 42, till it comes to 43, placed at the confluence 
of the Ruisseau des Chandeliers and Grand Riviere, having to the 
right the valley of the river, and to the left the inaccessible hollow 
of the stream. 

From No. 43, the bed of Grand Riviere, is the line of boundary 
for the two nations as far as the Guardhouse of Bahon, where is the 
pyramid No. 44 and the mouth of the stream of this name, mentioned 
in the treaty, and which the commissaries could not follow from the 
Montagne des Chapelets nor that of Chandeliers, in their western 
route, as a line of boundary, because it rises far in the south in the 
mountains of Barrero, Cannas, and Artimisa, without forming a 
junction with that of the Chapelets and Chandeliers ; besides, being 
settled T\dth the Spanish hattes, which are very considerable, and 
which come out to the river, where they have their plantations, 
provision-farms, and ecclesiastical revenue lands. Considering that 
these particular circumstances could not be known when the treaty 
was concluded ; and to draw the line from ridge to ridge from the 
left bank of the river to the mouth of the stream of Bahon, would 
be of no manner of use to the French nation, from the small quantity 
and bad quality of the land which would remain between the line 
and the river ; and considering, besides, that it would be cutting off 
the water from the cattle, which would prejudice the vassals of his 
Most Catholic Majesty, without benefiting those of his Most Chris- 
tian Majesty ; for these reasons the undersigned commissaries have 
agreed, and their generals have approved of it, that, between the two 
above said Nos, 43 and 44, the Grand Riviere should be the national 
boundary ; and that, in order to facilitate the communication here, 
the road shall be in common, crossing the river on one side as on the 
other, everywhere where the badness of the road, or the nature of 
the land, or of the said river, may render it necessary. 

From the Guardhouse of Bahon the frontier line ascends the ridge 
which ends at the pyramid, and from its summit it goes by Nos, 45, 
46, 47, 48, and 49, in winding round the present plantations of two 
French inhabitants, Couze and Laurent, these being on the right, 
and leaving to the left the possessions of Bernardo Familias, till it 
comes to the Guardhouse of the Valley, where the landmark 50 is 
planted. 



APPENDATORY. 50: 



From this point the line ascends the mountain called the Montagne 
Noire, along a patrole road well known, and halfway up the side 
of the mountain is graven No. 51 on two rock-stones, with the 
inscription, France, Espana. On the summit of the mountain is 
placed No. 52, at the beginning of the present plantations of Mr 
Milscent, and the line of boundary runs along his coffee plantations, 
which are on the ridge in going to the Nos. 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57, 
along the present plantations of Mr Jouanneaux, passing by the 
Nos. 58, 59, to the head of one of the branches of the Ravin Sec 
(Dry Ravine), and over the Piton or bill of the same name, to the 
top of the mountain, in keeping close to the plantations of Mr De la 
Prunarede. 

The Nos. 60 and 61 are at the head of the Ravin Sec; 62, 63. 
and 64, on the same ravine, round the present plantations of Mr 
Lariviere ; and from 65 to 69 inclusive, the line is formed by the 
boundaries of the plantations of Mr Lasserre, which are on the left 
of the summit of this mountain. To No. 69 the line follows a road, 
in common, which goes, in ascending to the top of the mountain, 
and wdnds round the plantations of Messrs Potier, Laleu, Gerbier, 
and Beon, which lie on the left with the landmarks, from No. 70 to 
79 inclusive, placed at the sources of the Ravin Mathurin, on the 
different straights of which it is formed. 

From the Piton or eminence, where Mr B^on is settled, the line 
goes along an open road on the ridge as far as No. 80, which is at 
the head of the Gorge Noire, between the present plantations of 
Messrs Colombier, Mathias, and Nolasco, from the house of which 
last the line runs along the ridge, in descending to and ascending 
from certain ravines, till it comes to Nos. 81, 82, and 83, along the 
coffee plantations of Duhar on the height, called the height of La 
Porte, which is opposite the wood of the same name ; and on the 
top of the said height, in an open road, the line descends round the 
plantation of Mr Dumar as far as the pyramid 84, erected at the 
old Guardhouse of the Bassin a Cayman, on the left bank of the 
river. 

On the right bank, opposite No. 84, is the pyramid No. 85, where 
the plenipotentiaries placed the first stone at the foot of the hill 
beginning the mountain of Villa Rubia ; the line goes now up to the 
top, where is placed the landmark No. 86, and, descending by one 
of the branches to No. 87, it takes the summit of the mountain on 
the plantations of the Baronness de Piis, which it follows still, leav- 
ing the slope to the right towards the valley of Dondon, and to the 
left in the Spanish part till it comes to the present plantations of 
Mrs Colliere, which lie beyond the top of the mountain, as well as 
those of Mr Chiron, which have all been enclosed by the landmarks 



504 AFPENDATORY. 

Nos. 88, 89, 90, 91, and 92, at which hist the line begins again, 
and follows the ridge of the mountain, opposite the above-mentioned 
valley, as far as No. 93, at the mountain called the Montague des 
Chapelets, and from its top it descends to JSTos. 94 and 95, in 
crossing the ravine which joins the plantations of Mr Soubira, to come 
to No. 96, on those of Mr Moreau, and from this point it descends, 
in a right line, to the river called the Riviere du Canot, on the left 
of which is the pyramid No. 97, at the point of the opposite branch 
which descends from the Marigallega. 

The frontier line now continues ascending, in a right line, to the 
top of the Kercabras, No. 98, and follows the ridge along by the 
plantations of MM. L6cluze and Tripier, as far as Nos. 99 and 100, 
whence it turns round the plantations of MM. de Montalibor, 
Touquet, and Gerard, by the landmarks, Nos. 101, 102, 103, to 104, 
placed at clumps of rocks on the height of the settlement of Valero, 
and below the second habitation of Touquet and Rodanes. 

From this point the frontier line continues, as straight as it was 
possible, by an open road on very rough ground, crossing Red Stream 
(Ruisseau Rouge), No. 105, and Ruisseau Maho as far as the land- 
mark 106, and then ascends, obliquely, the mountain of the Cannas 
or Lataniers, on the summit of w^hich is No. 107, whence it descends 
to the Ravine a Fourmi, and to the pyramid 108, on the left bank, 
between the settlements, now given up, of the Spaniard Lora, and 
those of the Frenchman Fauquet, possessor of the land known 
in the treaty under the name of Beau Foss6, then the partner of 
Fauquet. 

Crossing the Ravine a Fourmi, the line comes to the pyramid 109, 
at the right side of the branch by which it ascends the mountain of 
Marigalante, passing by the Nos. 110, 111, as far as No. 112, when 
the slopes on each side go, one to the French and the other to the 
Spanish part, and here it begins to descend to get to the mountain, 
from whence the water runs into the river called Riviere du Bois 
d'Inde, by the landmark 113, graven on a rock; 114 placed on a 
branch of the mountain; 115 on the stream called the Ruisseau de 
Roche Plate ; 1 1 6 on another stream called Ruisseau des Eperlins ; 
1 1 7 on a ravine ; 1 1 8 on the height called Hauteur Pelee del Dorado ; 
119 at the hollow called Gorge du Coucher ; 120 at Brulage of the 
Montague Sale; 121 and 122 in the savanna of the said mountain, 
on the sides of the high road, and, first ascending to the top, it de- 
scends to No. 123, which is at the source of the stream called 
Ruisseau a Dentelles, between the said mountain Sale and the moun- 
tain called Montague Noire des Gonaives, on which the line ascends 
by No. 124 to 125, where the undersigned, finding the summit 
inaccessible, were obliged to wind round it, through the Spanish 



APPENBATORY. 505 



territory, to come at the opposite side, in the direction of the frontier 
line, which as in all other inaccessible places, was measured by the 
rules of trigonometry, from No. 125, passing 126 at the Piton, or 
Mount of the Savanna de Paez, and 127 at the Pont de Paez, indi- 
cated by the treaty. 

Hence the frontier line continues on towards the summit of the 
Coupe a rinde, passing by the landmark 128, at the hill called the 
Petit Piton de Paez; 129 at a spring in the valley; 130 in the 
middle of the said valley, crossing the high road called the road of 
Coupe a rinde, between two mountains running along the height to 
where they join again, and descending to No. 131, which is in a 
hollow of the said mountain Coupe a I'lnde, the ridge of which is 
followed by the line, passing No. 132, on a rock ; 133 at the foot of 
a clump of inaccessible rocks, called Hauteurs des Tortues, as far as 
No. 134, on the height and on the side of the road, called Chemin 
de la Decouverte ; inaccessible during the greatest part of its ridge, 
as far as the sources of the Riviere du Cabeuil ; but notwithstanding, 
the Nos. 135 and 136, are placed in the Vallee des Cedras, and 137, 
in the Vallee Polanque ; the mountain continues to slope on one side 
in the Spanish, and on the other in the French territory, the line goes 
by the landmark 138, placed above the Sources du Cabeuil, on the 
mountain called by Spaniards De los Gallarones. 

The line now goes on above the Sources du Cabeuil, and along by 
the. landmarks 139 and 140, on the summit where the Decouverte 
joins to the Montague des Cahos, to the landmark 141, near the 
plantations of Cebere and Gui ; it continues along by the Nos. 143 
and 144, graven on three rocks ; 145, 146, by the side of the present 
plantations of Poirier ; 147 and 148, on the land of Raulin, to 149, 
where it begins to descend, and comes to the first plantation of Fieff^, 
going, on the Spanish side, the top of the Montague des Cahos, and 
which is bounded by the landmarks 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, and 
155, in returning to take up and follow the ridge as far as the 
second plantation, which joins that of Cazenave, and both these are 
surrounded by the Nos. from 156 to 160 inclusive. 

The line, passing by No. 161, goes along from summit to summit 
on the ridge of the mountain (which cannot be mistaken) to the 
landmark 162, at the beginning of the plantation now belonging to 
Perodin, and which is enclosed by the Nos. 163, 164, and 165, 
whence it takes again the ridge of the mountain as far as No. 166, 
along the present plantation of Cottereau, lying over the ridge to 
the left, and enclosed by the landmarks from the said 166 to 171 
inclusive ; hence going along the summit of a branch of the moun- 
tain, the line comes to Nos. 172 and 173, by the side of the planta- 
tion of Ingrand, where the summit becomes inaccessible to the 



5(fio APPENDATORY. 

greatest height of Black Mountain (Montagne ISToire) or Grand 
Cahos, the summit of which marks the national boundaries as far as 
the falls of the river called the Guaranas, which joins the White 
River (Riviere Blanche) at the place the French call Trou d'Enfer, 
where, on the high road, is placed the landmark 174. 

From this place the frontier line runs along the ridge of the 
mountain of Jaiti, one slope of which is in the Spanish and the other 
in the French part, as far as the summit called the Piton de 
rOranger, which it goes straight over to the landmark 175, graven 
on a rock, and along by the Nos. 176 and 177, in the flat-land of 
the said mountain, called Reposoir (Resting-place), continuing along 
the possessions of Hube, and pursues its way over the next mount 
to the No. 178 ; whence it goes, in descending along an open well- 
marked road, to No. 179, in the little savanna of Jaiti, and then 
continues on to the great savanna, where formerly was the guard- 
house of that name, crosses the savanna running towards south-east 
along by the landmarks 180, placed in the middle, and 181, at the 
point, going in the same direction, to the post of Honduras, crossing 
a very deep ravine running along the branches of the mountain on 
the left, till it descends to No. 1 82, placed in the Savanna des Betes 
(Savanna of Beasts), and to 183 on the right bank of the River 
.\.rtibonite, which it crosses at this point to come to No. 184, on the 
left bank, 185 on the stream called the Ruisseau d'Isidore, and 
arrives at 186, the Guardhouse of Honduras. 

To go up to the summit of the mountain called the Montagne a 
Tonnerre, it passes a second time the Ruisseau d'Isidore ; at No. 187 
the line goes up again by Nos. 188 and 189, towards the ridge, which 
is a well-known boundary by the division of the slopes, as far as 
Nos. 190, 191, and 192, to come to the rock of Neybouc, on the 
side of the high road, and on each side of which are graven the 
relative inscriptions and the No. 193. 

From the said rock at -the foot of the height called Neybouc, over 
which the line continues on, being inaccessible, the undersigned went 
to it along the Spanish part, to place on the summit the landmark 
194, whence the line, in an open and well-marked road, goes along the 
height called the Hauteur de la Mahotiere, and along the ridge of the 
mountain to descend (across a hollow) to the Ravine Chaude, which 
it crosses near its junction with the Riviere des Indes or Horse-shoe 
River, which the undersigned crossed for the first time, and placed 
on the left bank the landmark 195, constrained by the badness of 
the passage on the right bank to traverse its straggling current and 
its little islands, to come to the Guardhouse of the Deep Valley 
(Corps de Garde de la Vallee Profonde) and to No. 196, placed on 
the side of the present plantations of Colombier. 



APPERDATORY. 507 



From the said guardhouse the undersigned, crossing the river, 
placed No. 192 on a rock of the first branch, and continuing to open 
the line, in cutting the branches and hollows of the great mountain, 
along by the landmarks 198 and 199, as far as 200, to the Fond des 
Palmistes, on account of the impossibility of following any one of 
them, to take, at No. 201, the ridge which they ran along by Nos. 
202 and 203, as far as 204 ; and, crossing the hollow by No. 205, 
to come at the river Gascogne, they placed the landmark No. 206 on 
the left bank ; 207 on a branch of the mountain ; 208 in a flat spot ; 
and ail the three along by the plantations of Mousset, settled between 
river Goscogne and the Ravine des Pierres Blanches. 

From No. 208 the line crosses the ravine in a southern direction, 
running along by the settlements of Maucler and Guerin, over the 
branches of mountain which lead to No. 209, on the greatest height 
of the mountain of Neybe, where are to be seen the ponds ; it 
follows the summit of this mountain as far as No. 210, where the guides 
pointed out the Bajada Grande or Grande Descente (Great Descent), 
adding that it was impossible to continue the road along the summit 
of the mountain, designated in the treaty as the national boundary; 
and descending along the Spanish part, the undersigned went to the 
foot of the Great Descent, and there fixed, on the side of the high 
road, the landmark 211, from which, crossing the lake or Etang 
SaumMre, and directed on the point of the mountain which enters the 
furthest into the said lahe, from the southern part, near the Barguadier 
(shipping place) of the savanna of the White Ravine or Ravine River, 
the line comes to No. 212, graven on a rock at the said point, whence 
it ascends towards the summit of the mountain, goes by the land- 
mark 213 on the road to the mountain called Montague du Brulage, 
crosses the hollow called Fond Granger, and, after rising to the 
opposite height, descends to No. 214, graven on a rock in another 
hollow at the bottom of the settlement of Pierre Bagnol, and follow- 
ing the said hollow, arrives at No. 215, at the junction of another 
hoUow at the foot of the plantation of the said inhabitant. 

From this point the line, going in a southern direction, cuts the 
mountain on which Bagnol is settled, till it comes to No. 216, 
graven on a rock where the White Ravine (which has not had water 
since the great earthquake), joins that which takes its rise on the 
land of Beaulieu and Soleillet, to preserve their present plantations, 
which are on both sides of the ravine, and goes over the top of the 
mountain Majagual or the Mahots, forming the line as far as the 
branch which descends to Nos. 217 and 218, in two dry streams 
along the plantations of Soleillet. 

The line now continues by the stream on the right, along a weU- 
marked road, on the sides of which all the large trees are marked 
(for want of stones fit for landmarks) as far as the head of the 



508 APPENDATORY, 



Pedernales or Riviere of the Anses a Pitre, the line raarking the 
several turnings traced on the plan across the branches, and coming 
upon the great mountain, passing by the Piton or Brulage a Jean 
Louis, by the savanna of Boucan Patate — that of the Discovery and 
its Little Pond — to the view of the mountain of La Flor on the left, 
along the Dark Hollow, the Source of Miseries, the settlements of 
the runaway negroes of Maniel, difficult stream and deep stream ; 
then coming to the sources of the river called by the Spaniards 
Pedernales, and by the French River of the Anses a Pitre, on the 
banks of which the undersigned placed landmarks, each bearing No. 
219, with the double inscription. 

The bed of this river is the boundary of the two nations ; it was, 
followed down to its mouth, on the southern side, observing that 
along the first part its waters often disappear. The inscription and 
No. 220 were graven on a rock in the middle of the bed of the river, 
which does not run at this spot j and at its mouth are erected two 
pyramids. No. 221 on the sides, with the respective inscriptions, in 
sight of the two guardhouses. 

The undersigned, in order to execute this important operation with 
the greatest precision, have always had before them the treaty of 
29th of February 1776 ; and, except the division of the second little 
island and the demarcation of the line between Nos. 43 and 44, on 
account of the reasons above mentioned, accompanied with a sufficient 
number of men knowing the different places along the line, besides 
guided by their own honour, having a sincere desire to fulfil the 
desire of their sovereigns, in favour of the good and tranquillity of 
their respective subjects, having besides the example of harmony 
and sincerity given them by the plenipotentiaries, they have marked 
out the present plantations, and caused the inhabitants who had 
overshot the line on either side to draw back, according to the 
stipulations of the 4th and 5th articles of the treaty, and the 2d, 
6th, and 7th, of the instructions, except Mr Voisins, who is men- 
tioned as having voluntarily abandoned his position ; observing that 
everywhere a mandate was published declaring pain of death against 
any one who should pull up, carry away, or remove the landmarks 
or pyramids of the line, and that every one who should overshot it 
should be punished according to the exigency of the case. 

The commissaries being perfectly agreed on all contained in the 
present description, written in the Spanish and French languages, 
have hereunto set their names. 

Done at the Cape, 28th August 1776. 

Signed, Choiseul. 

Joachim Gakcia. 

[For further details see M. St Mery, " Spanish St Domingo," vol. i.] 



APPENDATORY. 509 



NOTES upon the Mines of Spanish St Domingo, translated from 
the Report of Don Juan y Nieto Balcarcel, Mineralogist to 
the King of Spain. 

Six leagues to the east of Cotuy exists a mine of gold, which was 
anciently worked, and produced annually more than a million of 
crowns ; but having fallen in, it has ever since remained in this 
state. I have been there to examine it, and have penetrated to the 
bottom, where it had fallen in. It could, at an expense of about a 
thousand crowns, be reworked, and the ore separated from the water, 
the ground being very high and dry. 

I went also to examine the neighbouring hills, which are of the 
same quality. 

At half a day's journey farther east there is a mine of blue copper 
very rich in metal, containing a great quantity of ore ; but the pro- 
prietor, who knew not its richness, having died, as also his slaves, 
the mine remained more than thirty years without being worked. 
I went there, and made an assay of the ore ; I found it gave a fifth 
of gold : and I do not doubt that this metal could be found as pure 
as from its third bed. 

It is to be desired that some capitalists would undertake the 
working of this mine, which, as I have said, has lain unworked for 
many years ; and though Cotuy has received the patent of your 
Majesty, dated February 3, 1790, it has not sought to realise its 
value. This is why I do it to-day, with its consent ; and, with the 
aid of God, I hope that in less than a year the royal fifths will pro- 
duce much. I hope also that, in consequence, laborious and enter- 
prising men wdll present themselves, who will bring into va,lue the 
numerous mines of silver and other ores of which I possess a 
knowledge. 

From this mine I have been to examine that which is in the dis- 
trict of Jarabacoa, at one day's journey from the town of La Vega. 
It was previously worked, and contained a great quantity of silver ; 
but being fallen in, it has remained in this state. Beyond this are 
some ancient establishments made by the French, where can be 
found some very rich mines of silver, called Sami, which, according 
to ancient tradition, are of a greater richness than those of Potosi. 
When the French came to establish themselves in the vicinity, these 
mines were worked by Don Diego de Cacerees, who abandoned 
them. In the Black Mountain, " Sierra Prieta," which is very high, 
there are some mines of iron which I have discovered. 

In the village of Banica, at seventy leagues from St Domingo, 



olO APPENDATORY. 

there exists a very abundant sulphur mine. I have extracted a small 
quantity from it, which I discovered to be of the best quality. 

In the valley of Bani, part of the south, there are many quarries 
of alabaster, and there exists a great number also in the town of 
Monte de Plata and the valley of Neyba. 

Not far from the mines of blue copper, which I have mentioned, 
there are two mines of silver. 

In the jurisdiction of Santiago, near to the Yaqui river, there 
exists a mine of silver, and a great quantity of copperas. 

In the valley of Neyba is a mine of rock-salt, of great renown, 
and which supplies Santiago and several other places. 

At twelve leagues from the same town, in the canton of Zazica, 
there has been discovered in a hill upon the river a mine of silver, 
that I have recognised but imperfectly, on account of the weather. 

In several other places besides those I have indicated, I have had 
information of many other mines of various metals, and particularly 
of gold, silver, lead, and tin. 

In the river Bao, beyond Santiago, in the south, in crossing an 
arm of this river, can be seen a mountain, of which the ascent is 
almost impossible by reason of its precipitous height. This moun- 
tain is the asylum of many runaway negroes, who have taken refuge 
there, and who live in a state of absolute lil3erty. I learned from 
some of these negroes that this mountain contained much gold, of 
which they showed me some grains. 

In the confines of the jurisdiction of the town, or the valley of 
San Juan and of Guaba, they showed me some diamonds found in 
the cavities of the hills. 

Upon the banks of the river Bao, of which we have just spoken, 
not far from the habitation of Don Diego de Andujar, there is a 
mine of very rich gold, from which has also been taken some 
emeralds. I went to examine this mine, and it appeared that the 
aborigines obtained gold in. nuggets from the banks of the river up 
to the top of the hill, upon which were the walls of a convent of 
Franciscans. 

I went to the mines of Guaraguano, situated at ten leagues from 
Santiago, which had originally been of great renown, but being fallen 
in, they had ceased to be worked ; they are, however, very rich. 

I retftrned afterwards to Santiago, from whence I went to Cienaga, 
that is called very rich. In the possession of Don Diego de Andujar 
is a place named Las Mazelas, where a number of persons were 
lately occupied in getting out gold. 

At Jaina, near Buenaventura, at the habitation Gamboa, which 
belongs to Don Nicholas Guridi, and which was depopulated by Don 
Diego de Herredia, in a place named Guayabal, upon the routo from 



APPENDATORY. 511 



La Vega, at half-way between that place and Santiago, is a mine of 
silver, very rich, which has been sunk and opened, and eight or ten 
slaves are now at work there. 

In crossing La Croix, in the same canton of Arriva, not far from 
San Miguel, there exists another mine of silver, also very rich, and 
which needs but some labourers to produce much. 

In crossing the river Jaina, by the road which conducts to San 
Cristobal, and to the habitation of Don Juan de Abedanos, to the 
right of the road, there exists a hill upon which grows not a single 
plant, but which contains a mine of quicksilver. I have hastily 
examined it. 

In going from St Domingo to the village of Higuey, near to the 
town of Seybo, twenty leagues to the east, there is found in a hill 
a mine of tin, containing some portions which had been founded 
and W(^rked by a goldsmith of St Domingo. Still farther on, within 
the limits of Higuey, at thirty leagues from St Domingo, there is 
another mine of silver that the Indians worked formerly, but which 
has since been neglected. According to what many persons who have 
entered this mine and extracted ore have told me, it is very rich, and 
has been but very little worked. Your Majesty, with few advances, 
would be able to draw from it great profit. 

In the mountains of Maniel, distant twelve long leagues from St 
Domingo, there is found much grain-gold. These mountains, which 
are called horrible, and which many persons have attempted to pene- 
trate, but have been unable to do so, are not inaccessible however, 

[He also refers to many other places as containing various minerals, 
and closes his report in saying] — 

Finally, I can compare this isle to that of Tarshish, from whence 
Solomon drew the gold that he employed in the ornamentation of 
Ms temple. 



THE tXD. 



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the Use of Theological Students and Ministers. By Heney Alfokd, D.D., Dean 
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ALISON'S HISTORY OF EUROPE. First Sebies : From the Commencement of 
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Additions and Notes. By John Wilson Ceokee, LL.D., F.R.S. Portrait of 
Boswell. 2vols.,Svo, Cloth, $4 00. 



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